A 'night of fun' costs the city up to $10K in repairs at Greenway Park

Londoners who play on one of the soccer fields at Greenway Park will have to wait an extra month to get back on the turf after it was marred by tire tracks. 

It was during a routine check of the park last week that a city operations supervisor came across the damage. 

"It appears somebody has driven their vehicle across one of the soccer fields and quite aggressively done some turns which has dug up the turf," said Mike Vandertuin, the supervisor of allocations and sports services for the city. 

"This is a significant amount of damage," he added, noting this type of incident happens once or twice a year. "This time it's more than what we've seen in the last five or 10 years." 

Getting the field back to the standard for soccer takes about a month's worth of work. It involves removing the bumps and adding soil and seeds for new grass. Vandertuin said that due to the weather, crews won't be able to start repairs until the spring. 

"We're disappointed for the kids who want to play on the soccer field," he said, adding that the field is usually booked from the start of May, right up to the end of August.

"This is going to delay them getting back on that field and it's hard to find a replacement for them to play on."

He estimates the repairs will cost anywhere between $5,000 to $10,000. 

While it's still unclear when the incident took place, London Police have been notified.

Police said if an identifiable suspect is found, that person could face property damage charges, including mischief over $5,000. 

"It's inappropriate to be doing this," Vandertuin said.

"They're damaging these fields that the staff work hard on to get up to standard and they're wrecking the experience for the adults and the kids who play on them." 

Anyone who encounters damage to a city owned field can report it at recreation@london.ca.