FSJ Soccer Club seeking answers on state of soccer pitches

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C – The Fort St. John Soccer Club is expressing its frustration to council on the state of soccer fields in the city.

Club president Darren Snider penned a letter to council on March 14th asking for answers regarding the conditions of the “poorly constructed” fields. The only two soccer fields in the city are at Sureus Park, which is currently set for redevelopment.

“Currently, the city has only two Soccer Fields (which is not enough for the size of our city). The two fields are located at Surerus Park. It has been well documented from the time of the initial construction that they were very poorly constructed,” states Snider’s letter.

The letter featured specific issues with the fields, such as the gravel amount in the soil, contouring leading to large pools of rainwater, and trenches left in the field due to not being backfilled properly.

“I ask you, city council as an example, would you ever allow the ice in the Pomeroy Sports Center to fall into disrepair to the point where Fort St. John Minor Hockey says they can no longer use it?”

“I will answer it for you. NO! This would never happen.”

The Club believes council would “move the earth to repair and get the ice open again” if there were problems with the center’s ice.

“A prime example of this is the broken cooler unit in the Curling Club in 2020. It was not in the budget, but it was repaired as soon as parts could be ordered.”

Snider, who has been on the club’s board for 13 years, mentions having conversations with city staff about the “poor state” of the fields.

“Three years ago, I met with four City staff managers and was promised that Surerus Park was a priority for re-development/repairs. Now, three years later, it is still not scheduled for repair.”

Snider says the club is open to conversations with the city around planning to repair the soccer fields.

The most recent Surerus Park concept plan presented to council in late 2020 features updates to both soccer fields and the installation of an updated tennis court, new washrooms at the south end, and a new playground. The concept is included in the Five-Year Capital Plan to begin in 2023 with a total of $20 million being budgeted to redevelop Kin Park and Surerus Park.

The letter will be presented to council on Monday, March 22nd.