A gate to Max Clunie Field and Harry Jerome Track sits locked on July 23, 2025. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Public Access

City council questions potential restricted public access to recently renovated track and field

Jul 23, 2025 | 2:37 PM

The recently-renovated Max Clunie Football Field and Harry Jerome Track were hot topics of discussion during Monday’s city council meeting.

The Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division (SRPSD) has said it wants to close the track and field to the public at certain times to prevent vandalism and crime, but some councillors said that isn’t fair as public money was used to fund part of the upgrades.

“So, the community puts in $750,000 and now they’re going to be locked out,” said Ward 6 councillor Blake Edwards. “I understand it’s for lots of good activities within, but I don’t find this is an acceptable response.”

While the city’s financial portion covered 50 per cent of the track’s restoration, the SRPSD contributed $3 million to the project. Director of Parks, Recreation, and Culture Jody Boulet explained the school division doesn’t necessarily want to lock out the public but instead is restricting activity so they can be aware of who is there, when they’re there, and ensure there is supervision in the area when scheduled activities are occurring.

“There has been a lot of good positive events that have occurred there – properly coordinated, properly supervised – and I really believe it would go a long ways, not just at [the track and field] but at the exterior of the Art Hauser Centre, that if we had proper enforcement attention to the issues that continue to occur in that area, it would go a long ways to our partners being a little more receptive to some more open access.”

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Boulet told council that vandalism continues to be a major issue at all city facilities – almost on a daily basis. At the track and field in the past, vehicles drove on the natural turf which led to costly repairs, sprinkler heads were kicked off, and there continues to be lots of unauthorized traffic in the area.

While the city does have mobile security that comes around periodically to lock gates, SRPSD staff doesn’t supervise the park past 5 p.m. unless there is an event. He said the days of leaving facilities open without supervision on-site have unfortunately come to an end due to the vandalism that has occurred.

“It gets difficult when you’re working with your partners that put in over $3 million in investment there, in addition to our $750,000… I can’t guarantee them or give them the comfort because we’re just not seeing [security] at any of our other locations either. Vandalism in the community at our facilities is continuing to be a major issue, probably the most major issue we deal with, to the point now where we track that separately so we can report on an annual basis to council how much it’s costing us,” Boulet said.

Council heard that an old agreement between the city and the SRPSD is being revised and it includes talks on maintenance responsibilities. Boulet said he expects more clarification from the SRPSD in reference to a potential schedule for the park, and the matter will be discussed further in the future.

Ward 4 councillor Bryce Laewetz added his own thoughts, saying more security or an extra fence won’t keep vandals out, but he is appreciative that agreement talks are in place.

“I understand the intent to protect those facilities, but the people that do want to vandalize them are going to vandalize them whether or not there’s a gate there. I’m glad we’re working on an agreement for access to there because the public should have access.”

The renovations of the track and field were completed in October 2024.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

On Bluesky: @loganlehmann.bsky.social