WATERLOO, Ont. - Laurier students, leadership and community gathered for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the re-opening of Alumni Field, located on the east side of the Waterloo Campus, on Thursday afternoon.

"Mixed-use spaces like this truly build a thriving community for not only our university, but also our neighbours," said Deborah MacLatchy, Laurier's president and vice-chancellor, who attended the event.  "We are grateful to the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, the Students' Union and the Graduate Students' Union for their generous gifts in support of the new field." 

It was a soft launch, as there are still a few remaining improvements to be made. When complete, the field will include an updated turf, seating, press box, storage, scoreboard and a centrefield gateway feature. The field has been expanded to FIFA-regulation size, making it more suitable for soccer, rugby and lacrosse competitions. 

"As you can see when you look at the field, students are already using it, and they have been since we let them back on there in January," said Kate McCrae Bristol, director of athletics and recreation, during her remarks at the event. "It's an incredibly valuable and popular space for athletics, recreation and social connection. Truly the heart of our program and our campus community in Waterloo." 

As soon as the field could be safely opened in January, while still under construction, students started using it again, even playing in the snow! As the weather warmed up, the energy picked up even further with more usage, including late into the warmer evenings. There is no better indication of how valuable these renovations have been to the Laurier community, and what the field means to Laurier students.  

"This is more than just a new field," says Laurier Women's Soccer team member and student Jyanessa Sealy, a second-year Bachelor of Science student. "It will be a place of highs and lows and wins for incoming Golden Hawks. Hopefully it will bring more recognition towards the sports that will be played on it and will build campus support and spirit. I am proud to be a Golden Hawk and have an opportunity to experience the new Alumni Field. Go Hawks!"  

The renovations were made possible by donors, with significant gifts from the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, the Students' Union and the Graduate Students' Association.  

Alumni Field renovations are scheduled to be completed by late summer 2023.