$3.2 million dollars from the Federal Gas Tax Fund will go toward the major upgrade at Masich Place Stadium.
Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, Shirley Bond says the upgrades slated for 2017 will pull Prince George level with several other cities in B.C.
“It’s an incredibly important opportunity for us to be on a level playing field with other communities in the province but also to attract more national and provincial opportunities for sporting competitions.”
Mayor Lyn Hall, says the new FIFA/CFL and World Rugby regulation size synthetic turf field will provide a major boost to the local sporting community.
“We are going to see clubs from football to lacrosse, soccer, track and field and this is huge but we may even see the resurgence of field hockey for example and that will be an opportunity for them.”
UNBC Women’s soccer player, Tianna Pius is a graduate of PGSS which is near Masich Place Stadium and says the new synthetic field will be a major plus.
“The girls I played with who graduated with me at PGSS played soccer together and we would play down at the fields here but with Prince George weather it is kind of tough to find a good field so the turf will be really good going forward.”
Pius adds the new field will be an upgrade from what they currently use.
“At UNBC the university field indoors is very nice and is quite new but it is not a regulation size field since it’s wider and not as long, with the regulation sized field outdoors it should be great for us and the community.”
The entire redevelopment project will cost $4.225 million with the addition of City and Northern Development Initiative Trust funding.
The funding is a part of $73.3M being distributed across British Columbia.