Soccer club calls for protection of local sports fields

By Denny Scott

MINTO – The Minto United Soccer Club is asking town council to take steps to protect soccer and other recreational spaces after an event decimated soccer fields last year, resulting in teams having to play a partial season full of road games without a home pitch to host on.

Club president Jeff Klemp told Minto council on April 21 about problems with the “Kiddie Kickers” fields behind the Palmerston community centre.

“Our concern is how our soccer fields, which are a key community asset, [are] being used and protected,” he said. 

“I’m here today to speak about a growing concern in our community. There is a lack of clear user policies and bylaws that should be in place to guide how our parks and recreation spaces should be used and protected.”

Klemp said the fields were damaged during an event that rented the space, resulting in possible injury-causing ruts that led to the soccer fields being “condemned.” 

He made it clear he didn’t blame the group that rented the space – it was following the agreement it had signed with the Town of Minto.

The Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club was the host of the event – the John Deere show, which was held July 25 to 27 last year.

“Without those bylaws, the policies … the community sports fields are at risk of being used in ways that compromise their condition and availability for youth and organizations they were built to serve,” he said.

Klemp had a petition with 171 signatures asking for council to act on the issue and protect the soccer fields, which have served approximately 250 youths annually over the past several years.

He pointed out nets had been installed to prevent balls from leaving the fields and hitting parked cars, but there were no man-made barriers to control or limit access to the fields.

“The town has been more worried about soccer balls hitting cars than [it is] about protecting the soccer field itself,” he said.

“In the past three years, we have had vehicles do donuts, causing us to lose a field. We have also had a field drove across … as a through-way. And, for the last three years, we’ve also had an RV park on our field. 

“This has led to damage and short seasons for … youth. This seems unfathomable to put at risk the largest youth activity … and a major asset in our community.”

Klemp noted that nearby North Perth required the Hayloft Music Festival, which brought in more than 5,000 people in a single day and was held right beside a community soccer field, “to have security guards and crowd control fencing to stop anyone from even walking on the pitch.”

He called that a “drastic difference” from the attitude in Minto.

“This is not acceptable to our organization,” he said. “It is up to this council, knowing the facts, and before the next election, to address these issues and make it right.”

The soccer club, through Klemp, had four specific requests:

• recognize soccer as a valuable and inclusive activity for all ages;
• develop clear user policies that reflect a commitment to local families and community groups; 
• soccer be “formally included” in the recreation master plan for the community; and
• the installation of field barriers to protect the fields.

Mayor Dave Turton thanked Klemp for his presentation, saying it was “excellent” and that council had “went a little bit south” on this issue.

“I can tell you … I know we’ve had the discussion, and you said it, it’s an election year, and there’s no guarantee that any of us will be here in December,” Turton said.

The mayor added the Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club will  continue to use the field for two nights.

“After that, they have guaranteed the pitch will be in good shape,” Turton said.

Klemp noted the soccer club was surprised an agreement was finalized with the Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club as the soccer club expressed concerns about the fields last September.

Council did approve a motion to have staff return with a report and recommendation on the future of the fields. 

Follow-up press release

Following the council meeting, the Minto United Soccer Club called for immediate action from council to protect local recreation fields through a press release.

“The current lack of policies leaves our community assets vulnerable,” Klemp said in the release.

“There are no safeguards in place to prevent inappropriate use of sports fields, which has already resulted in damage, reduced playtime and disruption to youth programming.”

Through the release, Klemp also said the soccer fields are “a vital community asset.”

“Without clear bylaws and user policies, they are at risk of being used in ways that compromise both their condition and their availability for the youth and families they were built to serve,” Klemp said.

The release stated the club doesn’t blame anyone using the space, just the lack of protection through town policies or bylaws.

“We hope our message is received not as anger, but as passion – for a sport that means so much to so many kids in our community,” Klemp said in the release. 

“We simply want to see this done right for our players and families.”