After 16-year useful life, City of Chilliwack poised to replace artificial turf at Exhibition Field

CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack City Council has approved a plan that will replace the synthetic turf at Exhibition Field and facilitate space for a new pickleball facility next to it at a cost of a little over a million dollars.

According to agenda item 7.4 of Tuesday’s council meeting, Chilliwack councillors approved a motion that moves forward with the partial removal and replacement of the synthetic turf this year, providing extra space for a new pickleball facility, and replaces the synthetic turf at Exhibition Field on city-owned property at 45323 Hodgins Avenue, for an estimated $1.05 million. Full turf replacement will likely occur in spring 2025. Council also approved a staff recommendation that authorizes the City of Chilliwack to work with procurement group Canoe and the preferred company, Astro Turf, for an estimate of $1.05 million for 2024 and 2025, for both phases of the synthetic turf replacement project.

A staff report from Joe Koczkur, director of public works and operations for the City of Chilliwack, says the synthetic turf surface at Exhibition Field has reached the end of its lifespan and exhibited signs of wear and tear that can compromise player safety and field usability. Koczkur said the completion of a G-Max test has warranted the need for replacement.

A G-Max test measures impact attenuation – also known as the ability of a playing surface to absorb what’s known as kinetic energy – from a collision, like a player falling to ground on a synthetic turf sports field. If a field is found to have a lower G-Max rating, the more energy is absorbed by the surface of a synthetic turf field. Conversely, the higher the G-Max rating, the less energy is absorbed by the surface, meaning more energy is returned to the player.

The current artificial turf field at Exhibition Field was built in 2009.

The City of Chilliwack says it will save approximately $70,000 to $90,000 by acquiring 2024 pricing for this project. It estimates changes will be made to Exhibition Field at a cost of $118,000, followed by artificial turf replacement costs of $936,000 in 2025.

On a related note, the future Chilliwack pickleball facility footprint requires a seven-metre section of the north end of Exhibition Field to be removed.