Chatham-Kent Youth Soccer has a new goal, and hopes council can help them reach it.
The CKYSA is looking to finance a new canteen and washroom facility at their Grand Ave. fields, which would cost approximately $375,000. Currently, patrons only have access to a handful of portable washrooms. Their current canteen, run by Community Living Chatham-Kent, takes place at a portable station.
Soccer officials are hoping the municipality will contribute $265,000, with Administrative Director Martin Aarts explaining this is a much needed structure.
"It's not so much the number of players, but the age group: they're all less than 10 years old," says Aarts. "With no facilities available, it's outrageous, in fact it's a health concern too."
The 2,100 sq ft building would serve as a storage facility, canteen and contain accessible washrooms.
Ideally, President Tom Nettleton says they'd have structures at all the parks they host games at. But the Grand Ave. fields are in most need of facilities.
"It would be nice for all the parks to have indoor plumbing and those facilities," says Nettleton. "The reason we targeted our Grand Ave. location is just due to the massive numbers."
The CKYSA is contributing $75,000 of their own money, and Public Health Services is dishing in another $35,000.
Chatham-Kent Council has agreed to consider the contribution in 2016 budget deliberations.