Just as importantly, it would add a high-quality soccer facility that can be used for youth sports and other user groups. The Whitecaps will only use the stadium on game days. The refurbished stadium will also allow the community to proudly carry-on traditional events in upgraded facilities, e.g. May Day, Movie Night, Anvil battery, etc.
While some outstanding questions remain, the City's proposed plan would include a commitment to a much-needed second turf field in beautiful and central Queen's Park. Community groups, including youth soccer, will be the primary users of the stadium field, new turf field, stadium storage and change room facilities. Along with the Queen's Park East turf field, which was built with significant funding from Royal City Youth Soccer Club (RCYSC), New West can stop envying other cities' facilities and finally have a home soccer complex to be proud of. Moreover, RCYSC can look forward to more collaboration with the Whitecaps on training and events. In short, this project promises to be of great benefit for the local soccer community.
The City must decide whether to approve this development by September 15. To succeed:
(1) The baseball community must be treated fairly and get fast-track access to a new city facility that's supports their capacity requirements.
(2) The Whitecaps leasing agreement, existing City budgets, and tangible economic spin-off must cover the costs of the project.
There is a minority of residents that are against this proposal for a variety of reasons. Dissenters can often have the loudest voice and could derail this unique and golden opportunity for soccer in New Westminster. The hard truth of the matter is that there is no professional baseball organization willing to pay a commercial lease to recoup stadium renovation costs but there is one for soccer.
Therefore, this online petition has been posted so that City staff and Council understand that there is a clear majority of New Westminster residents, voters, neighbours and local soccer fans that support the development of soccer facilities in Queen's Park.
We also need each of you to register your support via the City's official channel:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2LZJXQD
We hope that many of the voting-age family members and friends of the approximately 1200 registered New West youth players add their names and support to this list! We expect the Sept 15 council votes will be fresh memory to the voters on this list when the municipal election has started in a couple of months.
Thank you!
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
September 8, 2014
September 5, 2014
The emails I receive from the city have been slow and heavy with bureaucratic pushback. It is exhausting to keep pressing for clarity on these turf field plans but I am not walking away from this yet.
August 23, 2014
We hit one hundred signatures today. It feels like a long road ahead but I am glad to see people showing up for our community facilities.
Reached 100 supporters
August 20, 2014
7 Comments
What makes you think that the Caps would let the small cleats of the Royal City Soccer association use their game field?sounds great right now but don't be fooled. I agree that this city needs more sporting facilities, but at a huge cost to the tax payers of this city is not right.This project has been too rushed without knowing the income it will generate.
I would love nothing more then to see another turf field constructed. My concerns lie with comments that in order to facilitate baseball & soccer that a large treed portion of Queens park, along with the dog park & possibly a portion of the millennium trail will be removed. There are 2 suitable turf fields that are available for the use of the Whitecaps jr team, why are they not considered? allowing $ to still be generated and another field still created by a professional lease agreement.
This is win/win for soccer and baseball. Given that baseball cannot afford to pay commercial lease prices for use of a professional stadium, it is only a matter of time before 1) The current stadium is torn-down or 2) it is refurbished on my tax dollars. If the USL proposal goes ahead, the stadium is refurbished and a new baseball diamond is created and paid for by a professional lease agreement.
Finally some real investment in Queens Park. The stadium is falling apart and this is the only way it gets fixed without bankrupting the city.
This would be so good for the kids. My son plays for RCYSC and they really need the extra field space to practice during the week. Hope this happens!
What are the outstanding questions you refer to?
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Just as importantly, it would add a high-quality soccer facility that can be used for youth sports and other user groups. The Whitecaps will only use the stadium on game days. The refurbished stadium will also allow the community to proudly carry-on traditional events in upgraded facilities, e.g. May Day, Movie Night, Anvil battery, etc.
While some outstanding questions remain, the City's proposed plan would include a commitment to a much-needed second turf field in beautiful and central Queen's Park. Community groups, including youth soccer, will be the primary users of the stadium field, new turf field, stadium storage and change room facilities. Along with the Queen's Park East turf field, which was built with significant funding from Royal City Youth Soccer Club (RCYSC), New West can stop envying other cities' facilities and finally have a home soccer complex to be proud of. Moreover, RCYSC can look forward to more collaboration with the Whitecaps on training and events. In short, this project promises to be of great benefit for the local soccer community.
The City must decide whether to approve this development by September 15. To succeed:
(1) The baseball community must be treated fairly and get fast-track access to a new city facility that's supports their capacity requirements.
(2) The Whitecaps leasing agreement, existing City budgets, and tangible economic spin-off must cover the costs of the project.
There is a minority of residents that are against this proposal for a variety of reasons. Dissenters can often have the loudest voice and could derail this unique and golden opportunity for soccer in New Westminster. The hard truth of the matter is that there is no professional baseball organization willing to pay a commercial lease to recoup stadium renovation costs but there is one for soccer.
Therefore, this online petition has been posted so that City staff and Council understand that there is a clear majority of New Westminster residents, voters, neighbours and local soccer fans that support the development of soccer facilities in Queen's Park.
We also need each of you to register your support via the City's official channel:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2LZJXQD
We hope that many of the voting-age family members and friends of the approximately 1200 registered New West youth players add their names and support to this list! We expect the Sept 15 council votes will be fresh memory to the voters on this list when the municipal election has started in a couple of months.
Thank you!
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
September 8, 2014
September 5, 2014
The emails I receive from the city have been slow and heavy with bureaucratic pushback. It is exhausting to keep pressing for clarity on these turf field plans but I am not walking away from this yet.
August 23, 2014
We hit one hundred signatures today. It feels like a long road ahead but I am glad to see people showing up for our community facilities.
Reached 100 supporters
August 20, 2014
7 Comments
What a great opportunity for soccer in New West! I fully support this initiative. --Peter (Sapperton)
What makes you think that the Caps would let the small cleats of the Royal City Soccer association use their game field?sounds great right now but don't be fooled. I agree that this city needs more sporting facilities, but at a huge cost to the tax payers of this city is not right.This project has been too rushed without knowing the income it will generate.
I would love nothing more then to see another turf field constructed. My concerns lie with comments that in order to facilitate baseball & soccer that a large treed portion of Queens park, along with the dog park & possibly a portion of the millennium trail will be removed. There are 2 suitable turf fields that are available for the use of the Whitecaps jr team, why are they not considered? allowing $ to still be generated and another field still created by a professional lease agreement.
This is win/win for soccer and baseball. Given that baseball cannot afford to pay commercial lease prices for use of a professional stadium, it is only a matter of time before 1) The current stadium is torn-down or 2) it is refurbished on my tax dollars. If the USL proposal goes ahead, the stadium is refurbished and a new baseball diamond is created and paid for by a professional lease agreement.
Finally some real investment in Queens Park. The stadium is falling apart and this is the only way it gets fixed without bankrupting the city.
This would be so good for the kids. My son plays for RCYSC and they really need the extra field space to practice during the week. Hope this happens!
What are the outstanding questions you refer to?
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What a great opportunity for soccer in New West! I fully support this initiative. --Peter (Sapperton)