Young athletes from Catholic elementary schools across Lambton County came home this week to St. Patrick’s secondary school for this year’s track and field meet.
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Some 400 pupils took part in competitions on and around the Sarnia high school’s new track built with a rubberized surface. It replaced a dirt track at the site.
“I think it looks awesome,” said Stephanie Orrange, principal of St. Anne elementary school and principal with the Lambton Catholic Sports Council. “It has come a long way.”
The track surface is green because that’s the official color for both St. Patrick’s and the French-language Conseil scolaire catholique Providence board which share the facility, she said.
“Construction went really well,” she said. “We were on time” and track was available to be used a few weeks ago.
“Some schools came over to practice” ahead of Tuesday’s Lambton Catholic Sports Council track and field event, she said.
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The school board contributed more than $1 million for the project and fundraising continued for additional items planned for the site, Orrange said.
“We need bleachers,” she said. “We’d like an outdoor water-filling station. We need some portable soccer posts because the infield will be used for soccer during the school year.”
The Catholic board launched a 50-50 draw to raise funds for the project and tickets will be available until June 20 online at www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/stclair.
“We’re about $5,500 at this point,” Orrange said Tuesday about the draw. “We still have about 20 more days to go.”
Orrange said the council began working on the project about three years ago knowing a new track and field facility would be needed after a community track at the former St. Patrick’s location on East Street was removed to build a helipad at Bluewater Health.
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Last year’s elementary school track meet for local Catholic elementary schools was held at Lambton Central secondary school in Petrolia.
Orrange said “we are grateful” to have it back at a site with the Catholic board.
Melissa Fraser, principal of Saint-François-Xavier, which shares the track with St. Patrick’s, said the new facility is something positive for both schools, as well as the other Catholic schools in the neighborhood.
“We’re happy that it’s done,” she said. “It looks beautiful.”
The track has been getting good reviews from students, staff and school families, Fraser said.
“We’re just excited to be hosting our first event,” Orrange said. “We have lots we still want to do, so we hope everyone supports us” through the 50-50 draw.
She said community use of the track should be available by the end of the summer.
Following a parade of athletes on the track, O Canada and remarks by St. Patrick’s principal Daniella Mancusi, officials cut a ribbon to open the track and start the meet.
“The track is more than a physical structure,” Mancusi said. “It’s a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together.”
“We hope it will inspire a new generation of athletes and enthusiasts in our community,” she said.
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