A second artificial turf field has been green-lit for North Delta’s Mackie Park.
The project was officially announced during a press conference at the park Monday afternoon (June 5), along with a new track and sport field for Delta Secondary School.
Both facilities are being built using a $16-million grant the City of Delta received from the province’s Growing Communities Fund in March.
The new field, which will replace the gravel field behind Gray Elementary, is expected to open in late 2024.
Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon on Monday said the announcement was exciting news for the community, calling the new field “the next major infrastructure piece” to be built in North Delta.
“We know this new field will be a benefit to generations coming forward,” Kahlon said. “Especially with the World Cup coming in 2026 (…) who knows, maybe even inviting some of the top-level players here to come and do camps with our kids might be in the cards.”
Both the Mackie Park field and the track at DSS are being built as partnerships between the City of Delta and the Delta School District, similar to how the two collaborated on construction of the new track and field facility at North Delta Secondary.
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A land agreement between the city and district will enable the city to expand the footprint of the existing gravel field to make it large enough to accommodate a full-size soccer pitch overlaid with markings for American-rules football.
Included in the project’s scope is LED field lighting, perimeter fencing, a below-grade drainage system, goals and field equipment.
Kahlon noted the close working relationship that exists in between levels of government in Delta “does not happen in every community.”
“I think it’s a reflection on the leadership that is in each of the organizations, and I’m often bragging to my colleagues about how lucky we are here in Delta.”
Mayor George Harvie echoed Kahlon’s comments, noting projects like these can’t happen unless those partnerships between the province, city and school district are in place.
“Our dream was always to twin this [field] but funding was always a problem,” Harvie said, recalling his days as city manager.
“When we built this field [in 2002], this was the very first artificial field in all of Delta, and we received a lot of complaints about it from people who said it was too much money, it’s not worth it and all those things. Well, look at it now.”
School board chair Val Windsor said the new artificial turf field “will benefit countless Delta students as well as local community members,” noting Mackie Park is “extremely important” to the district as both Sands Secondary and Gray Elementary use it every day.
“From playing in the open spaces, exploring the wooded areas and exercising in the sports field, (…) having such excellent access to the freedom and space that Mackie Park provides brings numerous benefits to students,” Windsor said.
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Narmaya Sternberg, a Grade 11 student at Sands, said the second turf field will make phys-ed classes safer and more enjoyable.
“Currently, anytime we have gym, we’re only allowed to have two classes on this field. We’re forced to share it and it gets super crowded, and you always have to have your head on a swivel in case a flying ball is going to hit you in the face,” Sternberg said.
Grade 12 student Brianna Hutton said the second field will also benefit the school’s sport teams as well as the local soccer association, the North Delta Football Club (NDFC).
“Last season, our junior girls soccer team was double-booked for this field, which meant that they were not able to play their game and they had to forfeit that game. Having a new field will allow for flexibility in cases like that,” Hutton said.
“And just for the general public, I know when I come out here after school to play on my own, it’s usually quite crowded and there’s not a lot of room to play and practice your skills. Having a new field will help with that as well.”
Shane Roberts, vice-president of the North Delta Football Club, thanked mayor and council for their “continuous efforts in making the long-awaited second turf a reality.”
“For many of us in the community this is a dream come true,” Roberts said, adding the second field will be a great resource not just for NDFC, but for the surrounding schools, nearby residents and the wider community.
“It will provide a centralized location for everybody to enjoy our great game of soccer. Having a second artificial field located at Mackie will give NDFC an opportunity to host tournaments where teams from the surrounding areas can come and enjoy what NDFC and North Delta have to offer.”
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editor@northdeltareporter.com
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