Sylvie Paillard
[email protected]
Local football organizer Rob Ryan scored a touchdown with Squamish council in early April, and the whole community may soon reap the rewards.
On April 11, council granted Ryan's request to bring football back to Squamish with a $30,000 grant to refurbish the Don Ross Secondary School (DRSS) field.
"Vancouver teams won't come and play on our field," said Ryan. "We've lost 50 per cent of our home games because the fields are too soft."
Currently, the Gordon Sturtridge Football League (GSL) practices on a Brennan Park field that is an inadequate three quarters of regulation size. Players also use Howe Sound Secondary's (HSS) field, which is below sea level causing players to "sink into their ankles" during regular flooding, said Ryan. School cutbacks have also ensured that the fields will not be renovated for a very long time.
"I'll never see it happen in my lifetime," he said.
Since the HSS field would be too expensive to fix, Ryan received the permission from DRSS principal Rick Smith to fix their field.
Ryan said it would take $20,000 for new irrigation and $8,000 for reseeding and dethatching. The school district has agreed to maintain the fields once the work is done.
"The school district has finally agreed to help out, so we should go for it," said Mayor Ian Sutherland during discussions. "It's our chance to step up to the plate."
Sutherland added that the field could also support a track and field program, which is gaining popularity among DRSS athletes.
It will also alleviate pressure to Brennan fields, which cannot support football, according to Brennan Park recreation supervisor Janet Gugins.
Council voted unanimously to grant the early release of $30,000 in order to have the field ready for September 2006.
