The Greater Victoria School District and Bays United Football Club have signed a 25-year agreement that will bring a high-quality artificial turf soccer field as part of the Oak Bay High School redevelopment.
“Oak Bay High has been the beneficiary of the excellent Bays United program for years,” said Dave Thomson, Oak Bay High principal. “For us to build this relationship to provide a quality facility for the future is another great example of how the co-operative spirit of our community has paid dividends.”
Bays United will contribute to field construction costs and provide revenue for annual field maintenance in return for a long-term field use agreement. The school gains state-of-the-art athletic facilities that will increase participation in youth sports and contribute to the development of higher-calibre players.
“The board is pleased that students will have full use of a first-class all-weather sports facility during school hours and the community will also enjoy year-round use of this modern facility,” said SD61 board chair Edith Loring-Kuhanga.
Outside school use hours, the facility will be the home field for Bays United, which currently runs its youth and senior soccer programs at several school and municipal fields in Victoria.
Bays United Football Club is among the largest of Lower Island Soccer Association’s 10 soccer clubs, with a membership of about 1,500 players aged five to over-65.