No fence-sitting in this neighbourhood soccer field debate in the Upper Beaches

Thestar.com
June 14, 2018
Clare Rayment

Locals in a residential area in the Upper Beaches are going head-to-head with the Toronto Catholic District School Board over the curfew for a local soccer field.

St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School recently installed a new-and-improved turf soccer field, and, while it’s been good for the players using it, several residents on the neighbouring street, Torbrick Rd., have found the improvements to be disruptive to their daily lives.

The residents are asking that the curfew of 11 p.m. be pushed back to 9 p.m. to accommodate those living in the area better.

“The players aren’t considerate,” said Martha Lunderville, a resident of Torbrick Rd.

Lunderville said the main issues for residents are the noise and lights.

“It really affects newborns and small children, because the whistles wake them up.”

Christian Negre has lived on Torbrick Rd. for 19 years, and he said he feels that the TCDSB hasn’t been helpful in listening to their complaints.

“They misled the community in what was involved in the field,” Negre said. “Nobody in the school board is listening to us.”

Negre said that three times in the past few months, he’s had balls fly onto his back deck and people walking into his yard, without asking, to retrieve them. He also said that the lights from the field shine through into his third-floor bedroom at night when he’s trying to sleep.

The field officially came into use November 2017, after the project first had an end put to it by residents back in the summer of 2016, due to similar complaints.

John Yan, TCSDB, said he feels they have been accommodating with the residents and listened to their complaints.

“We’ve banned players from sitting near the fence on the residents’ side of the field. We’ve placed a directive of no excessive cheering or clapping, and we’ve mandated use of electronic whistles, putting them on the lowest setting and covering the soundpiece with duct tape.”

Yan said that so far, no noise or light bylaws have been broken.

He said if they change the weekday curfew to 9 p.m., it will take away half the prime soccer time for children and adults.

And, with the announcement of North America hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026, he said the desire to play soccer is only going to increase, and Toronto needs to be prepared for that.

“To meet the current demand, we’ll need 45 fields built in the next 20 years,” Yan said.

Councillor Paula Fletcher has been working with the residents on the issue. She said that one of their main concerns, along with the noise and the lights, is the excessive swearing.

“There’s more f-bombs than balls being kicked around,” Fletcher joked.

Fletcher said the community wants the field, but they simply want it closed earlier.

Rob Davies, president of Toronto Sport and Social Club, a recreational league that uses the field, said shortening the field’s hours would have a negative impact, as there is already a struggle for teams to get field time in the city.

“We’re sensitive to the concerns from the neighbourhood,” Davies said. “But we have to look at the city as a whole and see the positive effects the field has on the community, such as improving the area and providing more space for active play.”

Davies said they work with their players to educate them on being respectful and aware of the area they’re playing in, and he hopes that the neighbourhood and the TCSDB can come to an agreement soon, for the good of the players and the community.