There’s a piece of property in high demand by St. Albert sports groups, and much of the land isn’t even in this city. The 40-acre parcel, owned mostly by the province and Edmonton, is located at the southeast corner of Sir Winston Churchill Avenue (184 Street) and LeClair Way (137th Avenue) just north of the Anthony Henday.
The St. Albert Soccer Association (SASA) has plans for its ‘Field of Dreams’ – a $31-million facility that includes one roofed and seven outdoor soccer fields. The other group, Active Communities, wants to build an estimated $60- to $65-million sport campus home to four sheets of ice and two large gymnasium fieldhouses.
Two laudable projects, but only one location. A seemingly difficult and competing situation, which St. Albert city councillor Jacquie Hansen hopes to bring to a head. Hansen wants to bring both groups together. Her May 28 notice of motion to have the city prepare a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Active Communities in support of the project will be debated by council June 25. The MOU would indicate the city’s interest in providing its share of the funding, about $20 million (currently set aside for another ice surface at Servus Place), provided the province and the federal government step up for $10 million each. The remaining $20 million would come from Edmonton.
Hansen’s vision of one great project makes sense, at least on the surface, but there’s a proverbial fly in the ointment. Craig Cameron, co-chair of SASA’s Field of Dreams project, told the Gazette its MOU, signed with the city just over a year ago, must be respected. He added there has yet to be a conversation between SASA, Active Communities and the city regarding Hansen’s motion. Active Communities says it has since extended an invitation.
At the very least, Hansen’s motion should force council to consider the merits of both projects. One way or another, council will have to decide, in principle, what it’s prepared to support.
Of course, all of this comes down to money. The pressure is on for Active Communities to get that MOU – if the group doesn’t get it now, it will likely miss the chance to apply for provincial funding, further delaying the project. If SASA and Active Communities end up working together, what will the funding arrangement look like? Would a combined project have to be delayed? Will Edmonton and St. Albert be prepared to step up to the plate with the money?
There are a lot of questions facing council, but first it must consider the long-awaited city facility needs report on June 25. If the report reveals a need for more ice sheets and soccer fields, as we suspect it will, council will find itself facing some difficult decisions. Does it work with these community groups or go it alone with its own project? Either way, it will require strong will and leadership by council to bring a vision to fruition.
