Fowler Athletic Park is receiving a $2.8-million, much-needed makeover to boost its ability to hold key sporting events and provide important running space for recreational and competitive athletes.
The park, at 63 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue, will be taped off for the summer during the project, which is set to be completed by the end of October. Residents won't be able to use the space during construction.
Donna Hinchey, St. Albert's community recreation supervisor, says 80 per cent of the project, including design and construction, has been funded by the federal government through the Investing in Canada infrastructure Program.
Used by schools, running clubs, fitness trainers, and individuals, the track at the park may not have looked that bad, but it was showing wear and tear that needed to be addressed, Hinchey said. The facility went through some repairs and maintenance over the years, but an assessment in 2019 highlighted its deterioration and recommended redevelopment of the area.
The project aims to fix, among many things, drainage, track surface, surrounding amenities, and above all, safety issues, making sure that events such as track-and-field competitions can continue. "It has to be to a certain standard to be able to post track-and-field events, so we wanted to bring that out to both the city standards and the IAAF standards – which is the International Association of Athletics Federations – which sets out the design and the technical requirements for this sport," Hinchey said.
Those who regularly make use of the facility are happy to hear the repairs are being done.
Brittany Uchach, a fitness trainer in St. Albert, said she has used the facility a lot in the past. Uchach said if it were only for personal use, the track didn't seem to be in that bad shape, but if it were to continue to be used for professional games, it could definitely benefit from the work.
Uchach also said that, with the current changes in the fitness industry, parks such as this could be great for trainers trying to find a way around old fitness business models and restrictions. "A lot of us personal trainers are completely pitting our business model because we're, you know, getting shut down, open, shut down, open. Maybe some of the trainers will start using it for some of their clients or some of their group training instead of doing indoors, at least for the months that we can do outdoors," Uchach said.
Anne Bradley, president of the St. Albert Triathlon Club, is pleased to hear about the upgrades. “I think Fowler track is a great facility. Revamping it will be great for all users. Both of our children participated in events there,” Bradley said. The club only offers running clinics at the park every few years, but Bradley said, with the use of the athletic park by schools and track-and-field clubs, it could only be beneficial to make improvements.
Bradley said this year, the city has suggested a field with a track painted on it as the club has several athletes, herself included, participating in the World Championships slated for Aug 20 to Aug. 22. Whether the event will go on is still in question.
Wilco Contractors, who won the bid to do the current upgrade, are also excited about this project as they have an interesting history with the park. Art Maat, president at Wilco, said the track was reconstructed before by Wilco Contractors, "So Wilco, us, we were the contractor who did the work in 1999 to 2000 and we are now the contractor redoing the track 20 years later," Maat said.
Hinchey said she wants residents to remember that, although primarily booked by schools, the park is there for everyone, and once it reopens, people can book time on the track or use the park when it's available. "I just want residents to realize what a great asset it is, and you know it's used year-round. I drive by there in the winter, and I see walkers out there and people using it. It's a really great facility that's open for public use," she said.
