Field access still a challenge for Gabriola kids playing soccer

Rachelle Stein-Wotten

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder

Field repairs and delayed re-openings have left the Gabriola Soccer Association potentially playing their new season in multiple locations on the island.

Historically the association has practiced and played games at the Gabriola Elementary School field for up to seven days a week. Last year 70 kids were enrolled in the programs. Following a closure to the GES field that began last December along with repairs in the spring, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools is allowing the soccer association to rent use of the field for a maximum of two days a week, “to ensure the field can handle school, rental and incidental use,” NLPS director of communications, Dale Burgos, said. “The field will be monitored on a weekly basis to make sure it continues to be a space our students can use year round.”

The school district said the pause on rentals made a difference in the field condition and it “is in excellent shape.”

During the GES rental pause, the soccer association had to find alternative locations to finish out their season and also turned to the Regional District of Nanaimo to request use of the Rollo McLay fields.

For fall, both the upper and lower fields at Rollo are closed to rentals due to the ongoing drought conditions, which has prevented repair work, including overseeding, from effectively taking hold.

“When the field fully recovers from the drought, we will review each field booking request and provide access, when possible,” RDN manager of parks, Rick Daykin, said.

The soccer association’s season runs from early September to end of February.

Glen Murphy, technical director for Gabriola Soccer Association, said the agreement with the school district “seems to be working out fairly well” and will officially give one practice day and one game day. According to GES’s principal, the school has also agreed to an additional two days of practice as it considers the programming an after-school activity, provided the field can be maintained for regular school use as well. But the association is still figuring out where a few teams that can’t make those days will able to play.

“We’re looking to Rollo, but they’ve not been very good to us.” Murphy said the drought conditions are understandable but the association has not felt the RDN has not been supportive of soccer play at Rollo.

“Long before the drought they were not good with us – two or three winters ago, they were not helpful.”

The soccer association appealed to the Electoral Area B parks and open spaces advisory committee earlier this year to allow soccer at the Rollo McLay fields. Following direction from the board, staff brought back a report with a proposed increased annual maintenance plan for the fields, which will be included in 2024 budget deliberations. The proposed plan includes increasing the annual estimated maintenance budget to $52,000. The current field maintenance budget is $22,000 and $15,000 every other year. The RDN budgeted $37,000 this year to accommodate extra remediation work.

The RDN board has also allocated $278,034 in growing communities funding from the B.C. government for improvements to Rollo McLay park. According to staff, that could include upgrading the irrigation system, establishing a lower practice field, and/or providing space for recreation programs or general field improvements.

Any improvements would be determined by the Area B recreation and parks master plan currently in consultation phase, staff said