Cornwall's artificial turf sees increased use with UPEI field closure

Cornwall's artificial turf may become a lot busier as soccer teams and other groups look for a new location to play and practice following UPEI's announcement Monday it was immediately closing its artificial turf field.  

• UPEI closes artificial turf soccer field after report says turf is done

Cornwall park and recreation department manager Kim Meunier said many are calling to book time on the town's artificial turf. 

"We have certainly seen an influx in our bookings. A lot of the minor soccer associations that had scheduled tryouts at the UPEI turf have rebooked with us," said Meunier.

"We have also had senior men's teams who had scheduled their games previously at UPEI have been looking for times out here as well. Well we have been definitely juggling of course. Everybody wants prime time and there is only so many prime time hours." 

Meunier added they are doing their best to fit everyone in, and agreements with groups that had already booked the field before will continue to be honoured.

One of the other groups making use of Cornwall's turf are field hockey teams trying to get ready for national competitions.

Barb Carmichael, president of the P.E.I. Field Hockey Association, said the teams will be at a competitive disadvantage, as they won't get enough time on the field.

"For us not being able to use the turf — and we do use UPEI turf — is devastating. I don't know how we're going to actually send an under-16 team and maybe under-18 team to nationals," said Carmichael.

She said the teams may have to move their practices indoor or practice outdoors on the grass. 

Carmichael also questions why Charlottetown doesn't have its own artificial turf fields. 

"You look at Cornwall, [it] has two turfs. The City of Charlottetown has none and they're looking to host a lot of national tournaments and things like that. And you don't have a turf. Like whatever city in Canada doesn't have a turf?"

UPEI closed its artificial turf field on Monday after an engineering report recommended it be replaced immediately. The report said the field did not meet current industry performance guidelines and didn't have any useable life left. 

It will cost $900,000 to replace the turf. The university has not given a timeline on when it will be replaced.