On Wednesday, August 14th, the new $11.4 million Port Coquitlam Soccer Hub project kicked off with a ground-breaking ceremony. In attendance were representatives from Port Coquitlam City Council, including Mayor West, councillors, city staff, and representatives from BC Soccer and Canada Soccer.

This new facility is being built at Gates Park and has the support of the Kwikwetlem First Nation although Chief Giesbrecht was not present at the groundbreaking event.

Plans for this new facility include a field house which will be built into a covered grandstand. The project will also include a practice pitch and a FIFA - regulation field turf pitch.

The City of Port Coquitlam and BC Soccer are each kicking in $2.5 million to fund the project and the provincial government is pitching in with an additional $6.7 million. This new state of the art facility will be home to PoCo Soccer as well as provide a new headquarters for BC Soccer.

Ryan Clark, the executive director of the Port Coquitlam Sports Alliance, was the driving force behind this project which gained serious momentum when Ryan spoke with Carlo Grosso, the president of BC Soccer’s board of directors who was looking to consolidate offices located throughout the lower mainland.

Of the new facility mayor Brad West said “It will create an unparalleled experience for kids who aspire to one day wear the Maple Leaf,” Mayor West also felt that the facility would provide increased recreational opportunities for everyone in the community. The first stage of the project will be to install the field turf pitch which should be completed by this time next year.