Queen’s Park Stadium could “go the way of the buffalo” without more fans in the stands.
That’s the fear of David Brett, president of the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association, who joined representatives from the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce and Royal City Youth Soccer at a press conference Wednesday in support of a proposal that would see the stadium refurbished and used by a pro soccer team affiliated with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
“Personally I believe that continuing the stadium in its current use is one way to ensure that it may be demolished in the future,” he said. “The playing surface is for the players, but the stadium is for the fans. Without fans coming out to occupy the stadium, I think the stadium might go the way of the buffalo eventually.”
Brett said the majority of residents he’s spoken to about the proposal are excited about the prospect of the Whitecaps bringing an USL team to Queen’s Park.
“It is seen as a real valued neighbourhood amenity to be able to walk to high-profile, high-calibre sporting events like the New Westminster Salmonbellies, and now, possibly, soccer,” he said. “Many residents have withheld their support because they still have valid questions such as the precise economic details of the proposal. However, I would put in the minority camp the people who are adamantly opposed.”
Brett said all residents are unified on their desire to see issues of traffic, parking and access for youth sports addressed. He said there is “a little bit of confusion” among some residents” – due in part to the presence of Save Queen’s Park Stadium signs displayed in the community – who think the proposal means the stadium would be bulldozed, rather than refurbished.
Brett said the residents’ association has tried to get the word out about the proposal to its members and encourage them to attend consultation sessions.
“We put to a vote the question, do you support the Whitecaps USL pro soccer proposal. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents to the poll said yes,” he said. “On a personal note, when I see a couple of well-known entrepreneurs and a well-respected sports franchise wanting to locate in New Westminster, I think that is a sign that the Royal City is on the rise and it’s very encouraging.”
In addition to the current Whitecaps FC ownership group, the franchise will be co-owned and operated by Ian Gillespie of Westbank Projects Corp. and New Westminster native Gary Pooni of Brook Pooni Associates.
More than 20 residents attended the Aug. 25 council meeting to express concern about the timeline for making a decision, and community and economic impacts of the proposal.
On July 8, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the City of New Westminster held a press conference to announce they had signed a memorandum of understanding to work toward launching a United Soccer Leagues PRO franchise in New Westminster. The Whitecaps are working to a Sept. 15 deadline from the USL to put in their application, a timeline that would allow the club to launch its first season in March 2015 at Queen’s Park Stadium.
The chamber, the residents’ association and the soccer club held a press conference at Queen’s Park on Sept. 3 to declare their support for the plan.
Jamie Woods, a director with the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce, said businesses are excited about the prospect of having a revenue source to fund repairs to Queen’s Park Stadium, that have been needed for some time, and having a fun family outing on game days. Businesses also indicated they expect the City of New Westminster to accommodate New West Baseball elsewhere in the city with a field of similar design.
The New Westminster Chamber of Commerce’s board has also considered the proposal and support it, conditional on the city entering into an acceptable financial arrangement to make this happen.
Woods said the organization is excited that the Whitecaps and the City of New Westminster have entered into discussions to locate a USL team in Queen’s Park Stadium. He said the chamber sent out a survey to its 375 members last week and asked for their thoughts on the proposal.
“Within 24 hours we had 102 responses. That’s a 27 per cent response rate, which we were quite impressed by,” he said. “Eighty per cent of those members indicated their support of the proposal. They gave a number of reasons for supporting the proposal. They cited the Whitecaps’ strong community work throughout their history. They are excited about the boost to the city’s profile – the Whitecaps would be a good community partner and would be in the community often.”
Guy Ciprian, president of the Royal City Youth Soccer Club, said the organization sees the proposal as an opportunity for both soccer and the community at large. He said it’s an opportunity to revitalize the “aging and decaying” historic stadium, which is important to the club and to develop economic opportunities for businesses.
For Royal City Youth Soccer, Ciprian said it’s a “priceless” opportunity for kids to have access to professional athletes and coaches who are willing to give back to the community.
“Although we expect short term pain of losing the stadium this season, we see the long-term gain for us. This is an opportunity that will provide us with a dedicated grass soccer pitch that will be used by the professional team from March to September. Since we have offsetting seasons, this means it is available for our club, to use in their off-season. Access to additional field time for our growing club is desperately needed.”
The Royal City Soccer Club’s executive voted unanimously to support the proposal.
“I encourage our city council to find a way to make this proposal work and enter into a financially responsible agreement,” Ciprian said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city.”
Nicholas and Benjamin MacKinnon, members of Royal City Youth Soccer, attended the press conference with their parents. The family has season tickets to the Whitecaps.
“It’s awesome,” nine-year-old Nicholas told The Record when asked about the proposal. “It’s walking distance – not a half-hour drive.”
