The future of the Saint John Field House is looking more promising after the federal and provincial governments announced funding for the project Wednesday morning.
Both levels of government will be investing millions of dollars into the sports and recreation facility, which is set to be built on an empty field in Exhibition Park.
“The facility will have a 200-metre track, two turf fields, and will allow groups like Fundy Soccer, gymnastics, and track-and-field athletes to come to Saint John to train here and to stay here,” says local MP Wayne Long.
Long says the federal and provincial governments will each be investing $6 million in the project, while the City of Saint John will contribute $4.2 million.
“We are going to be able to attract national-caliber meets to Saint John,” says Long. “That is good for our economy, that’s good for business.”
From track-and-field to soccer, the state-of-the-art facility will put local athletes at a competitive advantage.
“As a soccer community it’s going to be a huge advantage to have us out of gymnasiums and onto actual turf fields,” says Stephen Hickey, a coach with the Fundy Soccer Association.
The new venue will also give competitions like the East Coast Games a chance to be more versatile.
“The more venues we can have and the quality venues we can have, then we can attract more sports,” says Keith Raynes, the co-founder of East Coast Games.
The project still requires $2 million dollars to be completed. Organizers will be approaching individual donors for help raising the rest of the money.
“This gives us a little extra lift as we talk to them now because those donors are going to be bringing us across the finish line,” says Bill MacMackin, president of the Greater Saint John Field House Inc.
Construction of the Field House is expected to begin this year with the goal of having it ready by the end of 2019.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mary Cranston
