AFTER A LONG fundraising campaign, a divisive battle between local residents and Northern Secondary School, and a drawn-out planning process, a new playing field will be constructed this summer at the high school.

With the help of the community, alumni of the school and the school board, $1 million was raised for the project to replace the current field, which has been referred to as a “dust bowl” by local residents.

“Students will benefit, local residents will benefit,” said school board trustee Josh Matlow. “This will be a great community asset for the entire Mount Pleasant and Eglinton area. It also means that, aside from the use of it, the neighbourhood will look a lot nicer. It will be a beautiful, modern green field rather than a dust bowl.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in late June or early July, and the field should be ready for action by September or October of 2009, he said. It will be named the Clarke Pulford Field, after a former physical education teacher at Northern Secondary School.

“We have enough money to put a new field there that will have artificial turf, and it will be really one of the finest fields in the city,” Matlow said.

Dale Callender, president of the Northern Secondary School Foundation, said the details of what will be included on the field have yet to be confirmed.

Callender said he believes they will be able to obtain the list of things stakeholders agreed they would like to achieve with the $1 million raised. The architects for the project will confirm whether or not that is possible. Those aspects include markings for football and soccer, a rubberized, 400-metre, four-lane track, fencing, a scoreboard, refurbished washrooms and bicycle racks.

The planning process included an effort to welcome the local residential community as a partner in the field’s use, Callender said.

“We see the playing field as an educational setting for students, but also, because it’s directly in the community, it’s an opportunity for the use of the playing field during non- educational times. Part of the consensus was that we would make sure the community has access to it.”

Originally, the school planned to erect a dome over the playing field. Some residents were incensed when they found out about the plan, creating a divide in the community.

Dan Burns was one of those angry residents, but once the dome idea was ditched, he became part of the group planning for the field.

“I think it’s a positive feeling,” Burns said. “We’ve gone from a very negative situation to a very positive situation, and now we’ll all have more access to the field.”

“It’s about overall wellness and family time, partnered with building future leaders for tomorrow,” Callender agreed. “It’s a great partnership.”

Northern Secondary School will host a farewell picnic to the old field on May 9, with a barbecue and games for the entire community. They will also celebrate what’s to come.