NEWS RELEASE
GEORGIAN COLLEGE
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Construction will begin this fall on a new sports field replacing one of two Georgian ball diamonds located at the north end of Nelson Street in Barrie.
The field will be completed by September 2016.
Barrie Campus students have been without a sports field since 2010, when the previous site was needed for construction of the Sadlon Centre for Health, Wellness and Sciences.
A new sports field has been a priority for the Georgian College Students’ Association (GCSA), which is contributing $1.2 million towards the project.
“The GCSA is excited to support the new sports field at the Barrie Campus,” says Scott Emslie, President, Georgian College Students’ Association. “We’re thrilled to be able to host our outdoor varsity teams and recreational sports right on site. And we can’t wait for the opportunity to have more student events – and expanded Orientation activities – literally in our own backyard for years to come.”
The successful bidder for the project is Worldwide Turf Inc., a company located in Barrie.
“We are happy to see a local company with vast North American expertise win the bid for the first artificial turf field in Barrie,” says Michele McConney, Manager, Athletics and Fitness Centres. “Steve Halbert, President of Worldwide Turf Inc. has taken a personal interest in this project, since he is a Barrie resident.”
Worldwide Turf Inc. has worked on projects all across North America and Halbert says it’s rewarding to have the opportunity to work in his backyard.
“This new field will be state-of-the-art and FIFA two-star certified,” says Halbert. “The infill is coming from a company in Italy. It’s environmentally friendly and guarantees top performance and a natural, grass-like sport experience. It will match the calibre of the field on which the Women’s World Cup was played.”
With the FIFA rating, Halbert says the field could be marketed as a practice facility for any FIFA team.
The new sports field will bring many benefits to both Georgian and the community.
It will be available for rugby, soccer and football. Students, community sports associations, school boards and City of Barrie recreation groups will all use the field.
It will also reduce travel time and costs for groups who, in the past, had to travel to use an artificial turf field.
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