It’s all sports, almost all the time now in Newmarket with the official opening of its first outdoor artificial turf sports field.
The Town of Newmarket partnered with the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) to bring the long-awaited $3.75-million sports field to Dr. J.M. Denison Secondary School.
The field can be used for many sports, including soccer, football, lacrosse and rugby, and will extend playing seasons beyond summer into early spring and late fall.
The field is now available for rental, depending on weather conditions, for organizations that apply for a user's permit with the Town. It costs $28.65+HST/ hour for youth sports groups and $50.10+HST/hour for adult groups, with lights.
The Town plans to open the field for use from April to October, and then will make daily assessments regarding its availability depending on weather conditions.
Newmarket is late to the game with its first turf field, as most of its neighbouring communities have long offered the fields for rental to sports clubs.
According to Colin Service, Newmarket's director of Recreation and Culture, the Town contributed $1.5 million, 40 per cent of the of the total cost of the artificial turf field.
The installation replaced an existing grass field with artificial turf, as well as added lights, bleachers, a storage structure, perimeter fencing and an eight-lane 400-metre rubber running track.
Dr. J.M. Denison Secondary School is located at 135 Bristol Rd.
