Turf Rolls Out for First Time on Walsh Field in Bonnyville

Progress

Things continue to progress at Walsh Field. The turf has started to roll out after a week of uncertainty. There’s still a lot of stuff to finish, but progress is definitely noticeable now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QMenzXLRyA

Keep off the dirt

One thing not mentioned in our interview with Dan Jubinville, is a reminder to residents to stay off the dirt until everything is complete.

Drainage issues slowed progress

“The biggest thing with a turf field is you’ve got to have very good drainage. You can’t have water standing on it. As soon as it rains, [the water] pretty much has to evacuate from the field. The product that was used was supposed to drain vertically down into a very special drainage system. It was working the way it was supposed to. So now we are draining horizontally, so that has taken some time.” Dan Jubinville says, “For the topping product, it wasn’t quite right. so we had to three or four modifications to get it where it is today.”

Green means go

On Wednesday, August 16, 2017, the turf began to roll out at Walsh Field. The turf needed a perfect base to sit on. As Jubinville mentioned, compaction had prevented the turf from being rolled out earlier, but things have since been smoothed out (pardon the pun.) See different photos of the turf on day one below:

Installers pose after the first piece of turf rolls out.

The new scoreboard that will feature two foot lettering.

A view of the new turf from the score keepers shack.

Tyson Dolynny and Dan Jubinville check out the turf.

Finishing up

“On the track we have some finishing up to do around the jumping pits. Only about ten percent on that. We’ve got a liner that is coming from Asia. He’s here on Sunday to start lining the track. The track probably has about ten percent left to do. The field, we’re one hundred percent on the base. We’re probably 5% on the turf. When they do the turf, it’s a five yard pnael they have to glue, and sew together. Once they sew and glue it together, and the whole field is placed, and the logos are in. They then make four foot sections, and make 21 passes on each section. There’s about 20 days left on that. We are looking at weekend of September 8th.” Jubinville explains.