Future of area school field back on rocky ground

While plans for a soccer field at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School (OLPH) were given official approval by the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) last summer, rezoning issues and a strong alternative community proposal have reopened talks on the future of the derelict field, with a final decision set for Jan. 15.

The Rosedale–Moore Park Association (Mooredale) had originally put forward the soccer field plan in an attempt to find a solution to field availability troubles.

Mooredale organizes several soccer teams and agreed to pay $250,000 to revitalize the OLPH field in exchange for evening and weekend field rights for the next 10 years.

However, come construction time, a red flag was raised.

The school is currently zoned for institutions and not for commercial purposes. And the Mooredale agreement to exchange funds for field time was debatably commercial in nature, said Tim Costigan, president of the Moore Park Residents’ Association. So last fall, discussions on the future of the field reopened.

Currently, Costigan has been involved in a community-based plan to raise money to restore the field as is. Originally the group banded together because locals were worried that the soccer field installation would mean more traffic during game and practice time and less public-use time.

The group has now raised $160,000, and Costigan said the goal is to raise $200,000 by decision time.“I’m hoping this will be a great example of how the community came together,” he said.

 

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