Companies offer team effort
Published Saturday November 7th, 2009
Community: Employees from Commercial Properties and Irving Oil roll up their sleeves to benefit a pair of south-central sports fields
SAINT JOHN - Two sports fields in the city's south-central peninsula got spruced up Friday with the help of employees from two local companies.
Workers from Commercial Properties planted 50 spruce trees alongside the Barrack Green fields, while Irving Oil employees planted at the Chown Field off Crown and Paul Harris streets.
"It's something all businesses should do," said Emery Whalen, an operations manager with Commercial Properties, as he sliced the earth with his shovel.
"We live here too."
Whalen was among 25 staff members who got out of the office to help improve the field beside the Barrack Green Armouries next to the Bay of Fundy.
"What they're doing here is fabulous," said Barry Ogden, a teacher at Saint John High School and chairman of the city's recreation and leisure committee. "People are going to be able to enjoy these fields year-round now."
The companies invested $25,000 for each field. Along with spruce trees, the fields will be resurfaced and the companies will install new goal posts.
Ogden said St. John the Baptist School and Saint John High both use the Barrack fields, and the Chown Field is used by Prince Charles and St. Malachy's schools, as well as the Boys and Girls Club.
"Recreation is so important to good health, fighting poverty and obesity," he said, adding green space is known to reduce anxiety and help learning.
"We haven't been able to play properly on these fields because they've been in such bad shape."
He said without the help of private investment, the work likely would not have happened.
"They're doing in a day what could take many, many years to happen," he said. "It's just fabulous they've stepped up and helped the community in this way."
Commercial Properties also hosted a barbecue at the Barrack fields, inviting area students and members of the community. They also shared coffee and hot chocolate with people waiting in line nearby at the H1N1 vaccination clinic.
Keith Linares, 17, said the improvements to the field will go a long way to preventing injuries.
"We might practise down here a lot more now," said Linares, who plays for the Saint John High School football team, before taking a bite of his burger.
John Irving, president of Commercial Properties, was flipping burgers amid the icy winds Friday.
He said it's "unbelievably important" to have good green spaces in the city.
"Kids that play any kind of sports, whether it be field hockey, football, baseball or soccer, if they don't have the areas, how do they get active? How do they get a chance to do these things?" he asked.
"We're delighted to be here to help."
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