Back Campus Camera: text

Showing posts with label text. Show all posts

2014-06-14

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Something new on the back campus field today – the two workers were speaking French. The truck in the background here is from Sol Sportica, a turf installer based in Saint-Jean sur Richelieu, about 30km outside of Montreal. Their website lists 10 FIFA-certified soccer installations in Canada, and multisport field hockey in Burlington, Cambridge, and Edmonton. While their resumé to date doesn't include the Astroturf System 5 that has been mentioned for the Back Campus Fields Project, FIH does list other certified products [PDF] that includes the manufacturer that Sportica used for its previous Field Hockey surfaces.

2013-06-22

The Promise (II)

Excerpt from the "Back campus fields project: Message from the dean", dated 31/05/2013, found here:
http://www.physical.utoronto.ca/News/2013/05/31/back-campus-fields-project-special-message-from-the-dean

The back campus will continue to be an open, accessible space for a wide range of intercollegiate, intramural and recreational sports and physical activity pursuits. No trees will be cut down to make this project happen. There will be no permanent stands, inflatable domes or taller fencing that will impact the wonderful view of the historic buildings and trees that surround the site. Studies have concluded that there is no archaeological potential on the site due to filling and grading over several decades. And no algaecides or biocides will be sprayed on the fields.

Larger version of the screen capture is here.

2013-06-14

The Promise (I)

These bullet points are excepted from the University of Toronto page "Facilities + Memberships > Back Campus Fields Project > Questions and Answers", found here: http://www.physical.utoronto.ca/FacilitiesAndMemberships/Back_Campus_Fields_Project/questions-and-answers

• The only change to this space will be the surface of the field itself; the surrounding grass and historic trees will remain.

• [P]ick-up soccer, flag football, softball and other recreational activities … will continue to take place on the field; the key change will be the greatly-increased access for the full range of activities, including recreational use.

• [A]ccess will be restricted during site construction and during the Pan Am Games period in 2015 (late June to late August). The fields will otherwise continue to be as available as they are now for student/community access and sport and physical activity programs.

• The amount of permanent fencing will not be more than currently exists. Even when all the fencing is up the fields will remain accessible through a series of well-placed gates on the east side (one sliding gate) and the south side (three sliding gates) that are not lockable.

• The total estimated cost for the project is $9.5 million. … [T]he University’s contribution – paid through the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education – will not exceed $4.2 million.

About this site:

"Back Campus Camera" is a personal project by Matthew Robertson, a resident of Toronto's University / Annex neighbourhood. I am not affiliated with the University of Toronto, nor any associated group, in any way.

My goal is to provide a visual record of the transformation of the U of T back campus athletic field from a grass surface into artificial turf. While photography is inherently selective, as a documentary project these images will be presented honestly and generally only be edited to make them a closer match to the scene as we would see it with our own eyes.

I do acknowledge that I am biased; the loss of an open and available green space diminishes my community. It defies my imagination that in this age, and in this city, it's acceptable to replace a vibrant and living field with an expanse of plastic. I expect better from an institution as important as the University of Toronto, and am disappointed in their lack of civic leadership and innovation.

At this time I remain hopeful that all of the promises made will be kept, and that the back campus will once again be an inviting and welcoming space for casual recreation as well as a contribution to the athletics and life of the University and its student body.