Two of Burnaby's turf fields are in "urgent" need of replacement, but the parks department doesn't think either should be replaced with a special water-based surface for field hockey.
In April, a women's field hockey delegation pitched the idea of building a "field hockey preferred surface" in Burnaby, and city council approved a plan to explore the proposal.
Field hockey players prefer water-based fields, which are made of short, dense artificial grass that is sprayed with water, because they allow the field hockey ball to roll smoothly and bounce less.
The International Hockey Federation requires water-based fields at the highest levels, such as national and international games.
Burnaby doesn't currently have any such fields, and the city's two field hockey clubs play on artificial turf fields at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West and Cariboo Community Field by Cariboo Hill Secondary School, according to a staff report going to council next week.
Neither field is ideal, but the report concluded there is "insufficient evidence of demand" to justify building a new water-based field at this time.
The idea of building such a field at Burnaby Lake West, complete with water cannons and change rooms, was explored by the city in 2022, according to the report, but the plan was abandoned because of the estimated $10-million cost, limited use potential and environmental impacts.
The report noted water-based fields can't be used by sports that require cleats, such as soccer, and are usually suited only for field hockey, field lacrosse and ultimate Frisbee.
And field hockey, unlike other sports, can't share a field with other sports during practice because of safety reasons, meaning only one team can practice at a time, according to the report.
Instead of a water-based field, staff are recommending council approve a newer generation "hybrid turf product" at Field 2 at Burnaby Lake West.
The report notes some of the newer products are approved by both soccer and field hockey governing bodies and don't require expensive, resource-heavy water use.
The turf would still primarily serve soccer but also feature field hockey lines.
"The upgraded hybrid turf would offer an improvement for field hockey compared to the current product at Field 2, while maintaining the current level of field provision for field hockey in the most cost-effective way," stated the report.
Fields 1 and 2 at Burnaby Lake West need to be replaced, according to the report.
If council approves staff’s hybrid-turf recommendation, a subsequent report will outline replacement plans for both fields.
The report noted the evaluation process would need to begin "shortly" for the fields to be installed by September 2025.
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