From today's T&T
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=10119
Field dreams to become reality
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Times & Transcript
By: James Foster
Two Moncton high schools' efforts boosted to get artificial turf sports fields
The City of Moncton will contribute two-thirds of the cost of upgrading two high school sports fields, including the installation of artificial turf.
The city yesterday announced a $1.5-million contribution to fundraising efforts by committees at Bernice MacNaughton High School and at Harrison Trimble High School to each renovate their playing fields, projects valued at about $1 million each.
'It will be wonderful for our city and wonderful for our schools,' Mayor George LeBlanc said.
'Together we will build it, and they will come.' While that last comment was a clear allusion to the movie Field of Dreams , there is no doubt that 'they' will indeed come to the fields. Other than both schools' sports teams from football to field hockey, the fields can be used for track meets, local walking groups and the like, but especially as practice facilities for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup of Soccer and the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, with games to be hosted at the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium on the Université de Moncton campus.
Norval McConnell of MacNaughton's Field of Dreams Giving Campaign and Judy Vautour of Trimble's Woody Hayes Field Committee noted that both school committees have been fundraising for field upgrades for some time now, and they are confident the community will pitch in to the remaining $250,000 that each field will require to fund the work.
McConnell said the improvements will be the fulfillment of a dream, 'our field of dreams,' and will be a showcase for Moncton and for the province.
'Both of these groups should be proud of themselves, to be willing to establish a partnership with our local government to make this happen,' he said.
Vautour noted the terrible state of repair that the Woody Hayes Field, with its natural turf surface, finds itself in today.
'And now we know that our dream is going to be realized.' Students and athletes from both schools attended the announcement at Moncton City Hall and cheered wildly.
Both officials said their committees will roll up their sleeves and redouble their fundraising efforts to turn their dreams into reality.
Both the new surfaces are expected to be ready before the soccer world comes to Moncton in 2014 and 2015, Mayor George LeBlanc said.
Following the announcement, the mayor noted that the two renovated fields will be assets for the entire community, as well as the school athletes and the worldclass footballers of the FIFA as well.
There are no current plans to install an artificial surface at the Moncton 2010 Stadium.
Both school committees have been active for a few years, striving to raise interest and money to fund their projects.
Vautour, a retired former Trimble phys-ed teacher and co-chairwoman of the committee, said the aging turf field at her former school is in 'terrible' shape, with potholes and debris.
McConnell noted the MacNaughton players will now join other teams across the province with having the advantage of the safest playing surface, and one that can most help boost players' performances.
LeBlanc said the fields will perpetuate 'the proud sports tradition in Moncton.' 'It's good for Harrison Trimble and it's good for Bernice MacNaughton and it's just great for Moncton,' he said.
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Hopefully it will compliment a new development across the street very well 
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