Conestoga news

June 18, 2024 4:01 PM

Conestoga celebrates grand opening of soccer complex in Cambridge

Conestoga is celebrating the opening of the City of Cambridge’s new outdoor soccer complex, made possible through a partnership with Conestoga. Located at the corner of Linden Drive and Fountain Street in Cambridge, the complex features seven fields, including four natural turf and three synthetic turf fields, as well as a 6,500-square-foot service building equipped with public and universal washrooms, changerooms, a multi-purpose space, a staff room and equipment storage.

Conestoga has contributed nearly $2 million towards the complex to provide field conversions and upgrades, improved benches and audience seating, the installation of a digital scoreboard, a storage area and other related amenities.

This new complex will be home to the Conestoga Condors men’s and women’s soccer and rugby program, marking the first time a single field location will host all home games.

“We are pleased to contribute to this project and to work with the City of Cambridge to provide greater sports opportunities for our student-athletes as well as local community organizations,” said Trish Weigel Green, Vice President, Students, at Conestoga. “We hope this new soccer complex will have a positive impact for years to come and look forward to future collaborations on sports and recreation initiatives that serve both the region and our students.”

The complex will also allow Conestoga to enhance its hosting capabilities within the provincial and national collegiate associations and provide a first-class tournament and fan engagement experience for Conestoga and the local community. 

The opening of the complex caps off an extraordinary year for Conestoga’s soccer programs. The men’s team recently secured a gold medal at the 2023 provincial championship as well as a silver medal at the national level. Additionally, one of the team’s standout players was named Athlete of the Year by the Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association.

The opening of the Condors Field underscores Conestoga’s commitment to enhancing the student experience. This year alone, the college is investing $74 million in wrap-around services, including health and wellness supports, food and nutrition programs, and career and employment counselling. Additionally, Conestoga has significantly increased student housing, expanding the number of beds by 170% over the last year.

Conestoga’s other investments in Cambridge include the development of the Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus on Reuter Drive. The college directed $130 million to the first phase of the campus which opened to students in 2022. Another $150 million is earmarked for phase two, which is now underway. When complete, it will be the largest, most modern trades training facility in Canada.