Features Profiles
Inaugural Atlantic Canadian field day draws over 100 sports turf managers, suppliers

THE Sports Turf Association’s trip to Moncton, N.B. in July was an overwhelming success, its host said.

“Overall, it went off better than I had even hoped for,” said Gord Horsman, of the STA’s first field day in Atlantic Canada. “With Moncton this central, it was ideal. Moncton is very central for everybody.”

Horsman, supervisor of Class A fields for the City of Moncton, said the municipality is conveniently located to draw people from elsewhere in New Brunswick and as far as Halifax, N.S. and Prince Edward Island, all of whom can reach the city in a relatively short day trip.

More than 100 sports turf managers and industry suppliers attended the field day on July 21, coming from as far as Fredericton, Saint John, Halifax and Prince Edward Island.

“We had a great turnout from P.E.I.,” Horsman said. “With tough economic times, it’s so essential that they can make a day trip which basically cuts their costs in half. I think that had a lot to do with it.”

Educational seminars began the day at the Moncton Coliseum. Speakers included Dr. Eric Lyons and Dr. Katerina Jordan from the University of Guelph, Gord Dol of Dol Turf Restoration Ltd. and George Bannerman of Gordon Bannerman Ltd.

The afternoon program moved to the CN Sportsplexe (formerly Moncton Commons) where Bannerman conducted a demonstration on infield grooming.

A number of Atlantic Canadian suppliers demonstrated some of the most current equipment available to the industry.

“All in all, we had a very good day,” Horsman said, adding the weather proved ideal. “We’re hoping to do it again next year.”

The idea for an Atlantic Canada-based field day was conceived about four years when Horsman took the turfgrass managers’ short course at the University of Guelph. Lyons was among those who provided input toward the notion.

Horsman wondered at the time whether Atlantic Canada should found its own chapter of the Guelph-based Sports Turf Association or begin an association of its own.

“We’re hoping to start a chapter,” he said in September.

Horsman said the attending suppliers were pleased with the event, noting they met people they would not have otherwise met.

“As a supplier, you know how important that is.”

In his role as host, Horsman shared some Maritime hospitality with his guests from the Sports Turf Association, cooking about 35 pounds of lobster for a dinner party at his home.

“They just loved it,” he said.

In the aftermath of the field day, Horsman turned his attention toward grooming the University of Moncton’s new multi-purpose sports stadium for a neutral-site Canadian Football League game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders. The game, played on Sept. 25, was the second time in as many years that the city was host to the CFL.

Horsman admitted getting the field ready for September’s game would be more challenging than the preparations which went into the 2010 contest between the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos. The university field had been taking a beating in 2011 since the campus lost its practice field and practices were subsequently conducted on the main field, contributing to added wear.
Nevertheless, tickets to the CFL game were expected to sell out for the second consecutive year, adding fuel to the possibility of Moncton one day getting a league franchise of its own.

“That’s the dream, I guess,” Horsman said. “That would be nice to see.” –