The Sooke School District is partnering with the City of Langford to install a turf field with lights on the site of the future North Langford Elementary School on South Skirt Mountain. The tendering process for site preparations has concluded, and installation will be completed by early 2023.
The funding for the build of the North Langford Elementary School has not been approved to date but the Sooke School District owns the land and is committed to using the space to promote a healthy and active community in the interim. When the turf field opens in early 2023, it will be a community asset that users can book for community athletics and activities. Once funding is approved and the build of the school has completed, the school will have exclusive use of the field during school hours and community users will have the ability to book the turf during evenings, weekends and non-school days.
"We are proud to partner with the City of Langford on another project that expands the portfolio of more useable space for community groups and athletics," said Ravi Parmar, Chairperson of the Sooke School District Board of Education. "It's an incredible opportunity to have turf and lights installed on the North Langford Elementary site, now all we need is a school."
The City of Langford will fund the installation of the turf field and lights on the site. "Instead of the land sitting unused until the school is built several years from now, we saw an opportunity to transform this space into a field that community user groups can start using right away," said Stew Young, Mayor of Langford. "The new turf will be an excellent addition to the existing recreational opportunities Langford has to support an active and healthy community."
"This is amazing news for the kids in our community and for community sports. We are grateful to the City of Langford and the Sooke School District for their support and commitment to partnering on projects that benefit the whole community," said Lucy Hansen, President of the Greater Victoria Minor Football Association. "The support we have seen from the City of Langford and the Sooke School District has been overwhelming."
With a record number of registrations, Juan de Fuca Soccer Association is also excited to see another turf coming to the West Shore. "The forward thinking of the Sooke School District Board and staff along with the City of Langford Mayor and Council to be moving ahead with another partnership and development of a turf field for the families of the West Shore demonstrates the understanding from both parties involved of the heavy strain of use on all field venues here in the West Shore," said Kevin Allen, President of Juan de Fuca Soccer Association. "We thank those involved for making this a reality."