We are excited to share with you that Edge School is exploring the development of a permanent, air-supported dome over our existing Stuart-Duckett artificial turf field located on the Edge School site at 33055 Township Road 250. Edge School is a not-for-profit, Government of Alberta approved, independent day-school serving 475 students and families from Rocky View County and surrounding communities. We also serve the broader community by providing sport and recreation facilities year-round outside of school hours. We have approval from our school’s volunteer Board of Directors to continue exploring this exciting possibility.
Before proceeding with a formal Rocky View County Development Permit Application, we want to engage the community in as many ways as possible. In doing so, we would like to learn more about the community’s support for this dome project and to hear any concerns regarding the transition from a seasonal to a year-round facility during school hours and for community use on evenings and weekends. Our initial community engagement survey had 227 responses with an overwhelmingly favourable response. This supported a decision by our Board to invest in preliminary planning and design for the sports dome.
At this time, we want to ensure that we provide the opportunity for all voices to be heard. In order to accomplish this, we have implemented the following:
- -Circulated a pre-application letter to residents within a 5 km radius of the school
- -Letters sent to surrounding community groups, along with follow-up conversations as requested
- -A sign wil be placed on Township Road 250 encouraging people to provide input
- -Sandwich board signs will be located inside the school lobby with links to provide feedback
- -This dedicated web page providing key information and project updates
Edge School Learning Commons
Drop in from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Architect’s rendering of proposed sports dome over existing field and light standards on Edge School site (accurate to scale and sightlines from Township Road 250). Shows existing School, including sports facilities and parking lot, in the foreground of the proposed sports dome. As an added benefit, lighting for the new dome will be contained within the dome, resulting in removal of the current field lights that produce some evening light pollution during the non-winter months.
Rendering of an aerial view with the dome covering the current turf field.
Rendering of the proposed playing surfaces inside the Sports Dome. The Dome will feature a full size artificial turf FIFA soccer pitch that will be divisible into halves and
quarters for 9v9 and 7v7 play. Additionally, there will be hard court space for basketball, volleyball and other court sports.
Here are some of the key reasons we believe this project is needed and should be supported:
1. Serving the Wider Community
• Edge School provides community access to its facilities. To support the communities we serve and to support our operations, our facilities are readily made available for use seven days a week, outside of regular school hours. Last year alone, Edge School provided over 4,000 hours of community sport facility usage, including the field, gymnasiums, and arenas. This included facility usage for Springbank organizations like Springbank Soccer and Springbank Minor Hockey Association. This commitment to making our facilities available to local sport and recreation groups would continue with the dome.
• There is currently no sports dome on the west side of Rocky View County. Nearby residential areas like Harmony and throughout Rocky View and Springbank would gain access to much-needed recreation space.
• Existing sports domes in Calgary are at or near capacity, and various organizations have publicly highlighted the need for more field space.
2. Meeting Student Needs
• Edge School’s student enrollment has grown in the past five years, with further growth expected. Our current facilities are no longer sufficient to meet the athletic training and competition needs of our 475 students. The dome would provide additional programmable space, easing these pressures.
3. Financial Sustainability not Requiring Rocky View Taxpayer Support
• The project would be financed at no cost to the taxpayers. The initial capital would be funded through a combination of generous donors (including an important capital campaign), partnerships, sponsorships and bank financing. We will also seek out relevant infrastructure grants.
• Our budget projections show that the dome would operate sustainably with any additional financial support that may be required available through our non-for-profit society.
4. Community and Economic Benefits
• The dome would create a new gathering place for Rocky View (including Springbank and Harmony), and surrounding areas.
• Hosting larger-scale events would benefit local athletes of all ages and would bring visitors and positive economic impacts to Rocky View County.
We welcome your feedback! Should you be interested in sharing support and/or any concerns about the development of the sports dome over the existing sports field at Edge School, please contact Keith Taylor at 403-246-6432 ext 110 or ktaylor@edgeschool.com.
Regards,
Keith Taylor, Edge School CEO and Head of School
Want to provide anonymous feedback?