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Departments > Parks, Recreation and Culture > Parks Division > Sports Fields > Maintenance, Use & Closures City of Victoria sports fields (both grass and all-weather) are closed for regularly scheduled winter maintenance from mid-December through to mid-January each year. The All-Turf field at Topaz-Finlayson will remain open for play during this period. The City's Parks Division operates and maintains 20 sports fields in Victoria. These fields provide:
All of our fields are "multi-use fields". This means that our ball diamonds are situated in the corner/s of either soccer or rugby fields. The demand for our fields increases every year. At this time, we have no undeveloped land that is designated for usage for sportsfield development. Therefore, we are attempting to make the best use of the fields we have by increasing field maintenance and scheduling use of the fields. In order to keep the City's sports fields in optimum condition year round, we manage the amount of use the field can sustain by constantly evaluating the turf condition, weather patterns and issuing permits for play accordingly. The continued cooperation between the Parks Division and all sports group users is a critical component of this management. The Parks Division follows a very intensive maintenance and improvement program for all sports fields. These activities include:
We have increased our field maintenance equipment to provide an increased level of care and maintenance to our turf and granular based playing surfaces. For example, we have made nail drags for the ball diamonds, purchased better line marking machines, and upgraded our tractors. 
The employees who work on the fields strive to provide a safe and playable surface for the permitted users. Many of our employees have played, or presently do play, on local sports teams, so they have a good understanding of the requirements that our user groups expect. These employees are supported by our caretakers, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, Arboriculture Crew, Public Works Crews, and Supply Management. Field Closures Poor weather conditions or unsafe field conditions are the primary reasons for sportsfield closures. Experience has shown that most turf damage occurs with field overuse or use during inclement weather. If a field is damaged as a result of play during inclement weather, the Parks Division may not be able to provide an alternative facility. 
Thus, it is in everyone's interest to ensure that fields are not used when play damages the playing surface. In order to meet the demand for high quality fields and ensure a safe playing field, both weather and field conditions are monitored on a daily basis to ensure that scheduled games do not:
When a field is closed, it is the responsibility of sport team coaches to ensure that fields are not played upon. Any teams caught playing on the field may forfeit the right to play on that field for the remainder of the season. To check the Status of the Fields click here Field Closure Procedure Fields are inspected every Thursday by Parks Division staff for the following: 
If any of these conditions occur, fields may be temporarily or permanently closed. Field Open - Coaches' Responsibilities Although fields may be open for play as of Friday, noon, weather and field conditions may deteriorate by game time. In these situations, it is the responsibility of field users to determine whether or not to resume play. The City Parks Division also has the right to close fields. Coaches are required to avoid high use areas near the regular goal mouth areas when using fields for practices, and not to practice on wet fields. User Discretion - Coaches' Responsibilities With user discretion, we have empowered the user(s) to make common sense decisions about whether or not to cancel an event on their field. We ask that, if there is frost or standing water on any area of the field or it is too wet to play, to postpone and reschedule the event. Please notify the Parks Permit Clerk the next day to advise if you have postponed an event. 
Field Maintenance The Parks Operation staff provides turf management services for all city parks and fields, most improved boulevards and city grounds, including the city cemetery, and green space in Beacon Hill Park. Also trail, infrastructure maintenance and litter control services are carried out year round to help ensure that Victoria's parks and green spaces remain clean and safe for visitors of all ages and for everyone's enjoyment. For field, park and washroom maintenance or other inquiries, please contact 361-0600 weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm or leave a message after regular hours and we will contact you on the next business day. We can also be contacted by E-mail Booking Fields and User Fees The City's sportsfields are allocated to the sports clubs in Victoria, but they are also available for rental. Fields are charged out at an hourly rate with user groups being allocated blocks of time as scheduled prior to playing season. For more information, or to book a field, please contact: Parks, Recreation & Culture Department Victoria Field Sports Association The City of Victoria's various field user groups meet regularly to discuss field-related issues with Parks, Recreation and Culture representatives. These meetings serve to provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to address current and long-term issues associated with the administration, maintenance, and sustainability of City maintained sportsfields.
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