Port Moody will celebrate a longtime community volunteer and the new soccer pitch that now bears his name at a special ceremony on Sunday, April 13, at 10 a.m.
Bob Favelle and members of his family will join Mayor Meghan Lahti and other members of council, along with representatives from Port Moody Minor Soccer Club, to unveil the new sign for Bob Favelle Field at Inlet Park (3024 Murray St.).
Favelle is a past executive director of PMSC and director of BC Soccer, the sport’s provincial governing body.
Over 26 years, Favelle also coached, mentored, advocated and helped build PMSC. The organization now comprises more than 1,700 youth players and another 400 adults.
Favelle even helped raise funds to enhance soccer facilities in Port Moody, including the field that bears his name.
Lahti said the tribute to Favelle is fitting “to honour his legacy and celebrate his impact on the sport and the community that means so much to him.”
The project to replace the old all-weather gravel surface at Inlet Park dates back to 2010 when public hearings for various redevelopment options were considered. But councils repeatedly balked at the cost, that ranged from $3.7 million to $5.7 million.
Meanwhile, young players continued to skin their knees on the rough ground and pressure from burgeoning participation in soccer programs grew on Port Moody’s other turf facilities at Trasolini Field and North Shore Community Park, as well as the city’s grass fields.
In recent years, the field at Inlet Park has been mostly used as a parking lot for special events, construction workers and film crews.
Finally, shovels for the new FIFA-regulation field turf pitch that can be subdivided to accommodate multiple games for younger players, as well as softball games in opposite corners, hit the ground in 2023, following funding commitments of $4.4 million from the provincial and federal governments, and $3.5 million from the city.
The facility also includes parking for more than 80 vehicles, two EV charging stations, a playground, batting cages and a raised boardwalk along the back edge.
An $8.3-million field house is still to come.
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