Corner Brook coach says soccer pitch needs to be patched before someone gets hurt

Corner Brook soccer coach Eric Bourgeois says he's worried that if holes in the city's Ambrose O'Reilly pitch aren't fixed, a child will wind up breaking a leg.

Bourgeois, a parent and volunteer coach with the Corner Brook United Soccer Club minor soccer program, says he's asked the city several times to fix one particular hole patched.

"It's two feet wide, two feet long, and four to six inches deep. So it is not just an uneven piece of grass but an actual danger," Bourgeois told CBC News.

He says officials recently cancelled a tournament game because it was unsafe to play.

"If you had stepped on the side of one of these holes it could be a broken ankle, a broken leg."

The soccer program, which has 640 registered participants this summer, uses the Ambrose O'Reilly field, and three others, every day during the summer.

Bourgeois's frustrations boiled over at a recent practice when he and other parents realized the field's portable toilet had no water or toilet paper.

"Parents were witnessing children coming out of the bathroom with looks of terror on their face having to go to their parents and guardians to get Tim Hortons napkins in order to use the bathroom," he said.

Bourgeois says it's time for the city to do away with the outhouses and install permanent washroom facilities with running water.

The club president says the issues can't be addressed by their volunteers but need to be handled by the city.

In a statement to CBC News, Deidre MacDonnell explained the club is not responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the soccer fields, just for mowing the grass.

"Maintenance of these facilities, including ground repair and bathroom facilities, is done by the city as would be expected of any other property owned by the city," said MacDonnellin the statement.

MacDonnell says club members met with city officials on Jan. 26 and raised concerns about city-operated grass fields and the bathroom facilities at the Ambrose O'Reilly pitch.

The City of Corner Brook declined an interview request but in a statement said officials only became aware of issues at the field last Tuesday and will address them.

In the statement, city spokesperson Ryan Butt said installing permanent washroom facilities "would be costly."

"But it's certainly something we'd look at if the need was there, in consultation with the user groups," he said.

Bourgeois says the response shows a disconnect between the city's recreation department and user groups like the Corner Brook United Soccer Club. He said he has suggested the department have a private meeting with user groups like the soccer club to address any ongoing concerns but he hasn't received a response.

"All of this would be a proactive approach and not a reactive. And these things could be improved for everybody whether it's safety or cleanliness of facilities," he said.

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