Turf's up: New Gander recreational complex to open after years of delays

The new turf soccer pitch and track and field facility is expected to open in June. It was first announced in October 2020. (Troy Turner/CBC)

The province's latest turf soccer field — and only the second outside the Avalon — is expected to open in Gander in a few weeks.

It's been nearly four years in the making.

"In any community where we can get a turf pitch funded and put in, it helps grow that club in that community," said Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association president Chris Bartlett.

The soccer and athletics facility was first announced in October 2020, at a price-tag of $6.6 million. In May 2021, a tender was awarded to Can-Am Platforms and Construction Ltd. for $6,777,725.92.

This view of the new Gander soccer pitch and athletics track shows the bleachers and lighting that was included in the project. (Troy Turner/CBC)

Plans included an eight-lane, 400-metre track encircling a regulation-size soccer field. There are also grassy areas for field sports and bleachers on site.

However, the project ran into issues after construction began and experienced delays. According to the town, they ran into ground preparation issues and had problems with the draining of the soccer field. The remediation of these issues put the project behind schedule, according to the town, but there were no cost overruns.

"We've had some delays and issues that came up during the construction, which is not unusual during construction of projects like this," said Gander mayor Percy Farwell. "It's frustrating nonetheless. And it has delayed our opening by little more than a season."

"We're bringing the project in still within the budget, under the budget that we had approved for the cost-shared funding."

The area adjacent the soccer pitch will be used for field sports. (Troy Turner/CBC)

Using some of the savings, the town has awarded Emmanuel Construction Services the tender to renovate and construct washrooms, change rooms and storage buildings on the site for $639,966.95. It's also cost-shared between three levels of government.

"It's not like there's one of these in every community," said Farwell. "One of the reasons we're building is it is to make it available as a regional facility and to create opportunity for …recreational or competitive athletes to be able to open up another avenue of active living."

Gander mayor Percy Farwell says the new turf pitch and track is still considered a construction site and won't be open for a few weeks. (Troy Turner/CBC)

For the soccer community, having facilities such as these extends the length of season and reduces any delays due to wear and tear of grass counterparts.

"Our hope is in central Newfoundland, which has had soccer for many, many years but hasn't really crested over the hill of being the big sport, we hope when turf fields go in places like Gander, we'll see a growth in the number of kids that play and adults that play," Bartlett said.

Bartlett hopes the addition of turf field will grow the competitive stream of the sport as well. He's hoping central Newfoundland will become a part of the provincial youth and senior leagues, which begin in May, and run all summer.

"We start to get new kids coming into the sport … and that will help the Gander Revolution club grow and become one of the bigger clubs, hopefully in the province, to be on par with Corner Brook or the Burin Peninsula or, or even some of the clubs on the Avalon Peninsula."

Gander will host the female U13/U14 Atlantic championships in late June. Before that, the new facility will host the provincial Special Olympics.

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