Walsh Field Set for Summer of Change

$50 MIL lottery winner, Raymond Scott, a major donor

May 5 marked a new chapter in the history of Walsh Field. While community members gathered for a ceremony, the first bits of ground work were completed. Sand was brought in to reduce the lasting impact of the constant heavy machinery the field will see over the next few months.

Walsh Field is set to undergo a transformation that will see the old grass field replaced with top-notch artificial turf. The running track will be converted to a rubber track through a coating placed on top of the preexisting pavement. The new turf was contracted from a company called FieldTurf.

Big donors step up

Two major donors have made the transformation of Walsh Field possible. The MD of Bonnyville gave the project $240,000 dollars. The rest of the funding came from a mystery donor who remained anonymous until May 5. Raymond (Ray) Scott was introduced as the man behind the large donation.

Raymond (Ray) Scott

The Fort Kent man spoke briefly at the ceremony. “I just want to help out. I like the fact that it will help the kids.” Scott said, who had hit the Lotto Max jackpot of $50 million in the summer of 2015.

The plan for Walsh Field goes far beyond football and the running track. The vision for the refurbished field is to turn it into a premiere track and field location in Alberta.

Brain Walsh (field namesake)

Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski

Micky Fagnan Bonnyville Amateur Football Association

The best of the best

“In this field, you will have a turf that is exactly the same as we’ve installed in the past year for four different NFL Teams… You’ve got the best of the best in artificial fields. In terms of the track, there may only be four or five athletic tracks that will rival what you will have here.” Kevin Pipe, a representative from FieldTurf, said of the new possibilities.

The renovations to Walsh Field will last into the late summer. The plan is for the new Walsh Field to feel its first cleats sometime in August.