This release was issued under a previous government.
Calgary-area field hockey players are the winners thanks to improvements to Hawkings Field at the University of Calgary.
The Alberta Field Hockey Association (AFHA) received a grant of $300,000 from the government to help upgrade the playing field on the University of Calgary campus.
“Our investment in improvements to Hawkings Field will benefit more than 2,000 area athletes who can continue to enjoy their favourite sport in a high-quality facility they can be proud of. Helping to ensure access to public sport and recreation facilities in communities across the province makes life better for Albertans pursuing healthy, active lifestyles.”
“I cannot express how much value this new surface brings to our field hockey community. It is an amazing gift to thousands of field hockey athletes and enthusiasts across the province, and allows our sport to continue to flourish and expand in Alberta.”
“The newly renovated Hawkings Field will provide a world-class home for our Dinos women’s field hockey team and the larger Alberta field hockey community. This project is instrumental in continuing to provide opportunities to grow the sport throughout the province and be the training ground for potential future Dinos.”
The project, a joint initiative of the AFHA and the University of Calgary, was completed in August and included the resurfacing of Hawkings Field to extend the life of the facility by about 15 years. The field is the primary game facility for the University of Calgary Dinos women’s field hockey team, 1,300 AFHA members and more than 700 athletes in the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association.
The total project cost is $1 million, with provincial funding of $300,000 provided through the Community Facility Enhancement Program.
The AFHA works to support the ongoing development of field hockey across the province. The association provides junior field hockey programming for youth ages six to 18 in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Didsbury and Lethbridge. The association also hosts Try it Free field hockey events and clinics in communities across Alberta to expose young athletes to the sport.