Montreal's football field renovations disrupt Sun Youth teams' fall schedule

Montreal's plan to renovate a football field during football season has left community teams without a place to play this fall.

"That's great for the kids, but it just falls right when it's the kids' schedule," said Peter Elenakis, whose nine-year-old son plays for one of the Sun Youth teams. "You don't want to disrupt the season."

The field in Jeanne-Mance Park, next to Mount Royal Park in Montreal's central Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, is conveniently located for families, Eenakis said. The field needs renovations, he added, but he wishes the timing was better.

Coach Jesse Blizzard said he's happy about the renovations, even though it's going to be hard.

"The idea is that we want to stay in the area, because it facilitates everybody since we've been here for a very long time," he said. "But we understand that it might not be the case or we might have to relocate."

Sun Youth, a Montreal-based youth organization, offers football to boys and girls aged seven to 17. There are five age-specific teams that all practise in the park.

Guinness Rider, the director of athletics and community services at Sun Youth, said the organization is working to find short-term solutions. For now, the season has been moved up so kids can play a few games before renovations start in September. 

He said finding available football fields in the city can be challenging.

There will be a season and games, even if that means playing on the road, he said.

"It's much more important playing games and having a practice field than throwing in the towel," Rider said.

Looking ahead, however, he said the kids will have an even better place to play football and other sports. Sun Youth is unclear on when the renovated field will reopen, but organizers said they are trying to stay positive.

Kim Nantais, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal, said the city is continuing its rejuvenation of Jeanne-Mance Park with the intention of making it more universally accessible.

The city also aims to make its sports facilities and recreational areas more comfortable, welcoming and safe, she said.

The Plateau-Mont-Royal borough is in communication with the Sun Youth organization and the borough has offered the organization use of the grass soccer field next to the synthetic one as well as an additional grass area in the park where they can practise Monday to Friday, between 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., she added.