Field house is a gem in MD of Foothills

Posted by on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016 at 1:20pm.

It’s the envy of Southern Alberta and it’s located just south of the Town of Okotoks.  It’s the Crescent Point Regional Field House and even though it’s only been open for a year it’s already operating at near capacity.

Operated by Nustadia Recreation in cooperation with the Foothills-Okotoks Recreation Society, this field house with indoor lacrosse floors, soccer pitches, running track and meetings rooms is used by everyone, even groups from Calgary who drive anywhere from 20 to an hour to the facility.

The Society recently reported its year-end activity for its first 12 months of operation to municipal councils in the Town of Okotoks and the Municipal District of Foothills.  The field house was operating at 82% capacity during its peak hours during the evening and on weekends.  Anything at the 90% mark is considered maximum capacity, a number which provides margins between games and practices to switch field users.  

There are at least 20 different groups that book the field house on a regular basis, including Stampede Show Bands who use the space to practice drills during the winter months.  The field house was even featured on a recent episode of Canadian comedian Rick Mercer who profiled the band.

Softball teams and pickleball enthusiasts booked the field house for winter camps as well, which was a surprise to the Society.  The field house has been a great training facility and a positive alternative to school gyms.  Many groups are returning for the 2016-17 season and some are finding that their desired dates are already gone.

Two local groups have provided excellent feedback about the facility, reporting that the large indoor space has helped them improve their game.  Both the Okotoks Raiders Lacrosse Association and Okotoks United Soccer Associations say the proper playing surfaces and proximity to town makes practice time productive.  In the past, close to 700 players from both associations would have to travel to Calgary to use indoor floors.

The facility has also meant that minor soccer in Okotoks is one of the few associations in Alberta that can host big tournaments like provincials.

That’s the good news on near capacity use during peak hours and weekends.  Now the field house operators would like to turn their attention to filling the facility during the day and also in the summer when many sports can finally be played outside. Some of the things currently being entertained are bubble soccer, rentals for birthday parties and even roller skating or ball hockey when the turf is rolled off the cement floor.

Other sources of revenue in the summer are trade shows and farmer’s markets.

The field house has four playing fields that are 85 feet by 200 feet each.  There’s a walking/running track, training areas, large change rooms, spectator viewing, meeting rooms, administration offices and a concession.

It was completed and opened in the Spring of 2015 and is a perfect example of collaborative partnerships as demonstrated by the town of Okotoks and the MD of Foothills.

Foothills County has experienced profound growth since 2004 and the need for a facility such as the Crescent Point Regional Field House is vital to the wellness of families in the area.  With a current population of 65,000 in the area, growth is expected to reach 93,000 in the next three years.

The field house is located south on Highway 7 at Aldersyde south of Okotoks.

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