Empire Bowl Fields at Hastings Park
Officially Open June 21, 2003

June 20, 2003 (No. 36) - The Vancouver Park Board and MoreSports Mini Soccer are hosting the official opening of the Empire Bowl playing fields and field house on Saturday June 21, 2003 from 10 am to 12:30 pm. The new fields are located at the Hastings and Cassiar corner of the park. Deputy Mayor Raymond Louie, Park Board Chair Heather Deal, Hastings Park Conservancy Director Shane Simpson and Vancouver Field Sports Federation President Colin Metcalfe will be presiding at the official ceremonies, scheduled for 11:30 am.

This $2.9 million development is "Phase 3B" in the greening of the park. The redevelopment of the 5.5 hectare site, provides additional sports facilities for the community, including two sand based, irrigated, turf soccer fields; two softball diamonds, an oval running track and a perimeter granular pathway. Landscaping includes perimeter trees and grassed banks. The 157m2 field house contains change rooms, washrooms and related service spaces.

A restoration plan for the "greening of Hastings Park" was developed during the early 1990s with assistance from the Hastings Park Conservancy (formerly known as the Hastings Park Working Committee), which represents the community and various interest groups associated with the park. In partnership with the Park Board, the non-profit Conservancy continues to take a leadership role in the implementation of the vision for the park and provision of education, programming and community outreach related to that vision.

The work of restoring green space in the park began in 1997. To-date, over 12 hectares of the site have been converted to park land and include the Sanctuary, a 4 hectare area containing a storm water retention pond and natural landscaping and the Italian Gardens, a 2.5 hectare area that includes fountains, gargoyles, gardens, a children's playground and a skateboard park. Beginning this summer, the City and Park Board will coordinate a public consultation process to help shape a vision for the park that will include both further greening of the site and the continuance of the annual PNE fair.

MoreSports is a partnership between the Park Board and a number of community groups that provides sport opportunities to enhance the lives of children and youth-based on a set of principles that reflects the uniqueness of inner-city Vancouver neighbourhoods. This event marks the first MoreSports Mini-Soccer League event at Empire Fields. The league represents groups from Hastings, Thunderbird and Ray-Cam Community Centres, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House and Franklin and Hastings Community Schools.

For more information contact: Carol DeFina, Communications Coordinator, 604-257-8440.

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