Victoria High School’s Memorial Stadium, opened in 1951 to honour students who died in the Second World War, is in line for a major refit designed to benefit the entire community.
School staff and alumni are spearheading the project, which would include a $5.5-million multi-sport complex, complete with an all-weather-turf field, lights and fieldhouses.
“The lights would start to get the community use after 5 p.m.,” said Keith McCallion, a former Vic High principal and member of the Victoria High School Alumni Association.
Current principal Randi Falls said she would like to see a project that benefits as many people as possible.
“Bring the community to the school,” she said.
“Obviously, the school will have the primary use, but outside of the school day, and certainly outside of the school year, we’d love to see the community involved.”
The first of three public sessions to discuss the project will be held tonight at 7 in Vic High’s Lawrie Wallace Auditorium. Future meetings are scheduled for Nov. 19 and Dec. 2, also at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
McCallion said the existing stadium was one of a kind when it was completed. “It’s the first high-school stadium in B.C.,” he said. “There was no other before that one.”
McCallion said the alumni is part of a group of project supporters that includes the Vic High school community, the Greater Victoria school board and Victoria council.
Earlier this year, Victoria Coun. Marianne Alto took the project to council, where a matching grant of up to $250,000 was approved — depending on what the school is able to raise.
McCallion said fundraising is expected to kick off in about two weeks.
He said fellow alumnus Roger Skillings, retired CEO of Canadian Sports Centre Pacific, will be a big part of the fundraising effort.
One plan is to ask grad classes from past years to raise money. “We think that will probably take about a year to do,” McCallion said, noting the alumni group has about 15,000 people in its database.
Construction activity is still some time away, he said. “If we could get shovels in the ground within a year to 18 months on Phase 1, that would be terrific.”
Phase 1 would include the field and lights, he said, while the track would be installed in Phase 2.
School board trustee Tom Ferris, who is the district liaison for the Vic High “family” of schools, said the project would benefit from the extra space gained when Vic High’s Fairey Technical Building was torn down and relocated on the school property. He said the board is giving the space to the project.
“That allows the extra property that you actually need to have an updated field and the right dimensions for a new track.”
Ferris said an improved track would be well-used, and the district wouldn’t have to hold as many track events at the University of Victoria.
“Here’s a track that’s right in the heart of town that kids can train on and compete on. It’s very exciting.”
Vic High has been at its current site since 1914.
