To celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ensure the tournament leaves a lasting provincial impact, the B.C. government is partnering with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and sports improvement organization viaSport to fund 20 mini soccer pitches to be built in all regions of the province.
“We want to make sure that British Columbians from all over British Columbia are able to benefit from this legacy project,” said Anne Kang, tourism, art, culture and sport minister, in a Thursday announcement in Vancouver. “So, there will be at least two mini pitches in each of our economic regions.”
The pitches will cost a combined $13 million, with about $4.5 million paid for by the province, $5.5 million by viaSport and $3 million in in-kind contributions from the Whitecaps.
The Whitecaps will manage the program, and communities will be able to apply soon through the team’s website.
Whitecaps CEO Alex Schuster said he expects more applications than pitches. He pledged to be “transparent” and “fair” in deciding which communities are successful in their applications.
This plan is going forward despite the uncertain future of the Whitecaps in Vancouver, as the team is up for sale and in the midst of searching for a new stadium.
Each mini-pitch will be a 60-by-120-foot plain, fenced surface designed to support multiple sports for year-round use.
They will not use artificial turf, which a University of British Columbia study recently found can leach chemicals into local waterways that are deadly to coho salmon. Researchers found that these chemicals, from recycled crumb rubber used in most turf fields, are being washed into storm drains and ending up in local Metro Vancouver creeks.
“The environment is very important to both the province and the Whitecaps,” Kang said. “I know the Whitecaps will be taking a look at the suppliers and the specifications of the materials used, but what I can confirm is that crumb rubber infill is not typically used for these hardcourt surfaces.”