The athletic field at York University in Toronto hosted the track and field events for the Pan Am Games 2015. York University brought Greenhorizons Sod Farms on board to take care of the sports field construction. This was due to the companies vast experience with other projects, including BMO Field and the Rogers Centre.
“We built the field up to an extreme quality level so that it would be at its peak for the sporting events,” said Steve Schiedel, Greenhorizons CEO. “By the time we were done with it, the field was up to FIFA natural grass profile standards.”
Divots Happen!
Divots always present a challenge. These little chunks of grass and soil that get cut out of the turf during sporting events are inevitable. It’s not that divots ‘may’ happen. There’s no doubt about it; they’re going to happen.
While the Pan Am Games were in full swing, volunteers would help fix the divots. They used the specialty top soil that Greenhorizons provided. This helped keep the field in optimum performing shape during the games. In addition, Greenhorizons Sod Farms had staff out every other day during the event. They managed the watering of the field, grooming it, mowing it, and getting it ready for the day’s events. Staff were there at 3 AM to do the maintenance work and then would be off the field by 7:30 AM so the games could resume.
Sports Field Construction & Maintenance
The field was also used for the opening ceremonies for the ParaPan Am Games.
“A false floor was installed on the field. As soon as the floor came up, our staff was on hand to have a look to see what we needed to do to get the field back into tip-top shape. Everybody absolutely loved it. We had rave reviews from the coaches, the athletes, everyone!” Steve said.
The scope of work with the sports field construction at York University included GHG Ultimate Sports Turf System on Engineered Sand. This project included our ProXstablishment system, pre-installation logistics and post-installation maintenance, up to, and including, winterizing the field.