The Memorial Centre grounds are at the heart of debate, as the City of Kingston is considering replacing its historic barns and green space with a professional soccer stadium.
On Jan. 7, Victory Grounds Ventures, a private corporation specializing in creating turf stadiums and fields, announced plans to build a soccer stadium at Kingston’s Memorial Centre. The construction would introduce a new 4,000 to 6,000-seat soccer stadium to Kingston with dome capability for winter usage.
Outlined in a news release on Jan. 3, Tourism Kingston wrote that the project has, “the potential to drive significant economic benefits for local businesses, bolster our sport tourism industry, and address the dire need for additional year-round open-air and covered turf space for our local sport programs.”
Located at 303 York St., the Memorial Centre is a community sports and entertainment area that includes an ice pad in the main building, softball diamonds, a track, an off-leash dog park, and a memorial area. The Memorial Centre is also home to the farmers market, where local farmers and businesses can offer their products directly to the Kingston community.
In an Instagram post, Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson said the stadium would become home to a new professional sports team in the Canadian Premier League—Canada’s professional men’s soccer league—semi-professional teams, and youth soccer teams. The plan outlined that this location would help service the 10,000 youth in sanctioned leagues and the 20,000 adults in recreational soccer and sanctioned leagues in Kingston.
The proposed plan is also expected to create 200 construction jobs during its construction along with 150 part-time and 50 full-time employees once finished.
In an interview with The Journal, Anissa Nielsen, ArtSci ’26, and vice-president (systems change) for Queen’s Backing Action on the Climate Crisis (QBACC), outlined her grievances with the project, including how its location could take away from the Memorial Centre’s history.
“[The] Memorial Centre facility was already built to be in memory of Kingstonians in the Canadian Armed Forces who’ve lost their lives. Some believe that building a large private venue would completely change the meaning of this sentiment,” Nielsen said in an interview with The Journal.
Along with the Memorial Centre’s history, Nielsen spoke about the outdoor market that takes place where the potential stadium would be built. She added the demolition of barns for the construction of the field could erase this longstanding tradition as she hasn’t seen concrete alternative plans to address this concern.
“These historic barns are located on the grounds of Memorial Centre, and they’ve been here for 100 years. They’re important for tradition, and it’s also where the outdoor market is held in the winter so that way it can continue all year ing these families and them offering seasonal produce,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen touched on how the closure of the market would restrict access to these local food sources and prevent opportunities, such as booth spots, that the market provides for students.
“It’s important for students as well because it provides fresh and healthy food within walking distance, as well as fosters a sense of community. The market is also known to feature booths for Queen’s student groups too,” Nielsen said.
Another prominent issue Nielson outlined is the lack of green space, which would add barriers to physical activity and eliminate an outdoor gathering space
At a public meeting about the proposal, lead investor Paul Barbeau said his goal isn’t to harm the farmer’s market.
“I actually want to work with the farmer’s market, and I feel that the influx of people will help them,” Barbeau said during the meeting.
City Councilors and Mayor Paterson will hear presentations on Jan. 14 at a Kingston City Council meeting, and sequentially vote on either moving forward with the project, looking into alternative locations, or getting rid of the plan entirely.
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