The Gallant government is investing $750,000 in the construction of a new $2 million artificial turf field next to Moncton High School.
Gallant government investing $750K in construction of new turf field next to new Moncton High School. Design work on $2 million project to begin this year with completion expected next year. Principal Mike Belong thanks those who made it possible. #nb #nbnews #nbpoli #schools pic.twitter.com/ZCFsdTTwSx
— 91.9The Bend News (@919TheBendNews) June 4, 2018
Design work begins this year and the field should be completed in 2019.
Moncton High principal Mike BeLong says the fields that were originally built were not adequate and there were safety concerns.
“We went back to the province and they said look those are the education specifications we have and it means the specifications. The unfortunate part was that the specifications aren’t for a high performance type field and we have athletic programs in which kids are going on to play varsity sports at the university level and so on,’ he notes.
BeLong says students had to be shuttled to other fields to play and he adds that become a problem when students had to leave classes early before the of the day.
Sheila Cameron chairs #Moncton High Fields Committee. She expresses gratitude for provincial support for new artificial turf field. #nb #nbnews #nbpoli #schools pic.twitter.com/BtwM91hBoH
— 91.9The Bend News (@919TheBendNews) June 4, 2018
The City of Moncton has proposed to spend $750,000 on the new field but that is part of the 2019 budget and a vote won’t come until fall.
The remainder of the cost will come from fundraising.
(IMAGE of design concept courtesy Anglophone East School District)
