A new sports centre at John Oliver Park is an idea worth exploring.
That’s what Mayor George Harvie suggested following a Tourism Delta presentation last month on the Delta Community Tourism Plan.
Elizabeth Clark, Tourism Manager for Tourism Delta, and Jill McKnight, Executive Director of Delta Chamber of Commerce, outlined the new plan they said has tremendous opportunity for a “community-first” approach in making the City of Delta a desirable tourism destination.
During council’s discussion after the presentation, the topic of how the plan can incorporate North Delta was raised, with Harvie pointing out sports has always been an integral part of the community.
Harvie said John Oliver Park has the potential to be further developed, in partnership with Tourism Delta, to be something like Surrey’s Softball City.
He said it would create “tremendous opportunities for tourism” but also that “we have a job to do also, to see if that should be done with council, of course, in order to promote tourism in North Delta.”
Coun. Jessie Dosanjh agreed, noting sports should be promoted in Delta, but more infrastructure is needed including a sports complex that can be a multi-sport, multi-event site, and John Oliver Park may make a good site.
However, hotel accommodations are also necessary but North Delta lacks such accommodation, which could be a challenge, he said.
A new master plan for John Oliver Park in East Ladner last year was quietly put back on the agenda for the parks and recreation department.
Among the City of Delta’s proposed 2024 budget plan highlights were a list of “key projects and initiatives the city is excited to move forward with” which included preparing a master plan for the athletic park.
It wouldn’t be the first time the 20-hectare (50-acre) John Oliver Park was eyed for major additions over the years.
Back in 2008, the city announced it was working on an agreement with the Vancouver Whitecaps to set up a team training facility, as well as a national training centre, at the park.
The proposal, however, fell apart when Delta and the soccer club could not come up with an agreement on how much community usage would be given.
As far as the future of the park, which is utilized for soccer, football and rugby, the city’s parks, recreation and culture strategic work plan back in 2018 noted there are limited development opportunities in Delta’s parkland, but John Oliver Park has potential for enhancement.
Some of the medium-term (2023-2027) wish list items identified in the plan included improvements to the park, such as additional fields, a fieldhouse facility capable of hosting community activities, additional parking and other improvements.
The total estimated cost for all those projects added up to $30 million.
“The approved John Oliver Park Master Plan envisions the development of the park as an outdoor field complex to create an extensive outdoor sports and recreation hub for the residents of Delta. The multiplex layout in the Master Plan identifies the conversion of a natural grass field to synthetic turf, the creation of a cycling course, sport courts, permanent field house facility as well as a trail system and interpretive lookout, all supported by additional parking area,” the previous plan stated.
Prior to the failed memorandum with the Whitecaps, the city had made a deal with the Ex-Britannia Rugby Association for the park which included new fields and restoring the historic John Oliver Barn.
The rebuilding of the barn was later deemed not feasible once it was dismantled.
