Public meeting will focus on Chapples Park

The city of Thunder Bay is hosting a public meeting Wednesday night about the future of Chapples Park, a recreation area that's been the focus of much attention in recent years, because of concern over the state of its soccer fields.

Chapples is an important part of the city's recreation master plan, which is currently being developed.

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The outdoor fields at Chapplesare in "very poor condition," said Taras Sawula, the treasurer of Soccer Northwest Ontario.

"There's holes, there's potholes, there's no grass in areas, there are sprinkler heads sticking up in locations that pose hazards to the players. It's just general lack of quality to the fields themselves," he said. Poor water drainage on the fields has also led to game cancellations, he said.

"I think what we're looking for as a soccer community is a commitment from the city for a plan with firm timelines and objectives for the improvements of soccer facilities."

"We hear them loud and clear"

The issue of field conditions is sure to be raised at the public meeting, said Lou Morrow, the city's manager of corporate projects, but before decisions are made about how to fix them, the city needs to look at bigger picture questions, such as how many fields are needed, and where they will be located.

"We hear them loud and clear and we fully understand the issues and concerns around the field conditions, and we're ready to do something about it, we just want to make sure we do it properly and plan it out properly in the long term," said Morrow.

The public meeting is also a chance to discuss other aspects of the park, said Morrow. The city is looking at road access and parking, as well as the trail system, lighting, and amenities such as washroom facilities.

The meeting is taking place on Wednesday June 15 from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Da Vinci Centre on Waterloo Street.