While two opposing proposals for a rundown soccer field at Our Lady of Perpetual Help school (OLPH) have left locals at odds, a recent decision by the school’s district board over the Mount Pleasant Road and St. Clair Avenue East field has set future plans on solid ground. 

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) has approved the Rosedale–Moore Park Association (Mooredale) proposal. The local recreation organization will absorb the cost of transforming the site into a 180-foot by 120-foot artificial turf soccer field. The trade-off is that Mooredale, which organizes several soccer teams, will have evening and weekend field rights for the next 10 years.

“It was a relatively straightforward decision,” said local TCDSB trustee Catherine LeBlanc-Miller, of the proposal that will see all costs covered.

Regarding the alternate proposal, the Moore Park Residents Association had raised money, but not enough.

“In about four weeks, we raised $105,000 in pledges,” said Tim Costigan, president of Moore Park. “If we had more time, we would have raised more.”

Costigan said locals created the alternate proposal because they were concerned about losing the field’s baseball diamond, about potential traffic problems and about monopolization of the field. While he said he is disappointed with the final decision, he is pleased the board is working to mitigate potential problems such as increased traffic flow.

Natalia Dukszta, president of the Catholic School Advisory Council, said she has only heard positive feedback about the field.

“I’m thrilled,” said Dukszta. “It means we’ll have a field for our kids to use.” Construction will likely begin next month, said LeBlanc-Miller.