I read with interest the Whitecaps’ proposal for Queen’s Park Stadium and question why they need the only first-class baseball diamond in the area.
To change it from baseball to a soccer field is not needed, as there are two other New Westminster possibilities in Queen’s Park alone:
1. The city of New Westminster recently built a very nice soccer field right below the arena and all it would need is washrooms and stands (or bleachers) and it would be ready to go.
2. South below the baseball stadium there is a large area of land suitable for a soccer field and all they have to do is build around it to their needs.
Queen’s Park Stadium is used by a large number of good quality baseball teams and we should never lose the baseball option for New Westminster.
Let’s say the Whitecaps take the stadium, cut it up and change it for their use only.
A year or two later they may find that the attendance did not make it worthwhile for them to stay in New Westminster and they leave us with a broken down stadium.
The city then will be responsible for renovating and/or changing it back to a baseball field, or maybe not all is lost, they could make it into a dog park!
I have nothing against soccer and/or the Whitecaps coming to New Westminster but I would request that they leave our baseball field as it is.
Earl Marshall, New Westminster
