Topaz Park

City to Invest $8 Million to Revitalize Topaz Park

At the January 23, 2020 Council meeting, City Council directed staff to invest nearly $8 million to construct a skateboard park and bike park, and replace the artificial turf sports field at Topaz Park as part of a long-term renewal plan for the park.

View the draft concept plan here or click the image below.

Skateboard Park

The new skate park will be approximately 3,000 square metres in size, similar to the Victoria West Youth Park. The final design will be developed through a collaborative design process involving future users and is intended to create a space that is inviting and suitable for all skill levels and styles.



Bike Park

Approximately 6,000 square metres in size, the new bike park will provide a fun and challenging riding experience for all skill levels and will serve as an all-ages social hub for the cycling community. Existing trees in the area will be integrated into the design of the facility.

New Artificial Turf Sport Field

The new artificial turf sport field facility will include a full-size soccer pitch, softball field, a mini multi-purpose field, sport lighting, and other amenities such as dugouts, player shelters, a backstop and spectator seating. The softball field will replace one that will be displaced by construction of the new skate park.

Budget

The $7.47 million in funding will be drawn from a combination of sources including the Building Infrastructure Reserve Fund and the Artificial Turf Field Reserve Fund.

Timeline

It is anticipated that the design and construction will be completed in two years and be open to the public in the summer of 2021.

About Topaz Park

Located in the Hillside-Quadra neighbourhood, Topaz Park is the City’s third largest park and the main recreational park in Victoria. It is home to the City’s only artificial sport field, and includes other amenities such as sport fields, a lacrosse box, leash-optional dog area, fitness equipment and a playground. It is also a popular outdoor special event venue, hosting a range of festivals, sports tournaments, and outdoor events each year.

Park Features

Four sports fields – including one artificial turf field

Sport box

Washrooms

Dog leash-optional areas

Playground

Natural areas

Fitness equipment

To book a sports field, or find out a field's current condition, click here.

Background - Topaz Park Improvement Project

Update: June 2019

On June 6, Council directed staff to update the Topaz Park Improvement Plan, to focus on designing a replacement of the current artificial turf field, while also increasing support for a planned new artificial turf field at Victoria High School in partnership with School District 61.

Council clarified that although a second artificial turf field at Topaz Park was not being prioritized in the immediate future, direction was given to ensure that sufficient space was provided in the north-west corner of the park to accommodate a potential second field in the future.

The new approach will reduce the City’s capital funding requirement, prioritize the completion of two field projects in two neighbourhoods, and allow flexibility to expand capacity in the future at Topaz Park. Detailed design and consultation work will be underway in Fall 2019.

Click here or on the image to see the updated site map showing the new orientation of the field. We will provide further updates on public engagement opportunities as the design process progresses this year.

About



In 2017-2018, the City worked with the community to create an improvement plan for Topaz. This long-term plan will guide improvements to Topaz Park over the next 10 years, including renovating existing park infrastructure, adding new types of amenities, and updating the park to support broad community use. The Topaz Park Improvement Plan was approved by Council in June 2018.

Key features of the plan include:

Improved sports fields and recreational facilities.

A greater diversity of park activities, including a new skateboard park, bike skills park, pickleball courts, and tennis courts.

A more cohesive, accessible, and family-friendly park layout.

Read the Topaz Park Improvement Plan and the Topaz Park Improvement Plan Appendices including:

Engagement Summary

Parking Impact Assessment

Artificial Turf Feasibility Study

Accessibility Baseline Study

Community Engagement Process

The Topaz Park Improvement Plan was created with input from three phases of community engagement: