By Grant Warkentin
The city is proposing to replace the existing soccer field at Pinecrest Park with a second artificial turf field at Robron Park.
Since Robron was changed from a middle school to an alternative education centre, the fields between the centre and Robron Park have been “underutilized,” says the city. It’s proposing the new artificial turf be built on the old fields, which are a short walk away from the existing turf.
“This is the logical next step to creating a soccer hub at Robron Park, with access to the fieldhouse and other amenities,” says the city in a statement. “Student use would be prioritized on weekdays, with community use on evenings and weekends.”
The existing field at Pinecrest Park will be turned into additional off-site parking for Strathcona Gardens, to accommodate the third arena which has been added to the REC-REATE overhaul of the entire recreational facility. The new parking lot would also be a welcome boon for teams and supporters visiting the community for large soccer events.
The city says the decision now rests with the school board for School District 72.
“We were hopeful that we could get approval this spring to move forward with the Robron Park project, but understand the school board has decided to wait until 2027 to make a decision,” said Mayor Kermit Dahl in a statement. “I encourage anyone with questions regarding their decision to contact the School Board directly at natalie.crawshaw@sd72.bc.ca.
“The city remains committed to the construction of a second artificial turf field and will hold that funding in place pending the approval from the new school board. Alternatively, we will look for land at another location to construct our second artificial turf field as we know that is an existing need to support our active community.”
The city’s proposal to the school district will cover the full costs of construction.
Dog lovers not forgotten
The city says it will accommodate people who have become accustomed to using the old school fields as an unofficial dog park, and will work to make an off-leash dog park official in the same area.
“The project would also include the relocation and replacement of a permanent off-leash dog park within the Robron area which has become a well-loved public amenity,” says the statement.
Benefits of a soccer hub
The city has been looking at building a second field since last year and an increased ability to host large, multi-day events has been on minor soccer’s wish list for years.
Last year the city and Campbell River Youth Soccer Association joined forces to make $50,000 available to create a conceptual design for a new artificial turf field. They are now waiting on the school district to approve the use of its lands.
The “Mini World Cup” held in April 2025 is the sort of event soccer hub supporters hope to bring to Campbell River more frequently. It hosted youth teams from Salt Spring Island, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Oceanside, Port Alberni, Powell River and the Comox Valley, bringing hundreds of visitors together at Robron Park.
Sports tourism is worth billions of dollars in Canada.
BC in 2019 (pre-pandemic) ranked second among all provinces with $1.72 billion in sport-tourism visitor spending, behind Ontario ($2.45 billion) and ahead of Quebec ($1.25 billion). BC communities such as Langford and Kamloops are examples of how hosting large sporting events can translate into millions of dollars of local economic benefits – people visiting town will spend money at local shops and restaurants during extended stays.
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