Turf war: A tussle over artificial grass in a Glebe schoolyard spills over

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A neighbourhood battle has been simmering over a proposal to overhaul a portion of a Glebe schoolyard with artificial turf.

The problem is the junior yard shared by Mutchmor Public School and Corpus Christi School. Mutchmor students actually have to cross Fourth Avenue to use the yard, which is bounded with Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

The yard is rather large for an urban school, but it’s either dirty or hard as rock. The yard gets muddy in the spring, when snow and ice melt. Grass doesn’t grow. The mud solidifies into hardpan.

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A proposal floated by the Mutchmor school council starting about a decade ago suggested covering the offending area with artificial turf, which would allow for a soccer pitch.

“I was absolutely flabbergasted,” said Duncan Ault, the father of two Mutchmor students, who objected to the plan as soon as he heard about it last winter.

“To invite artificial turf into the environment of our children is a horrifying prospect.”

And the cost. Ault has heard estimates ranging from $125,000 at the low end to $500,000.

Others are also opposed.

Alex Campbell, a father of three, believes installing artificial turf is contrary to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s strategic plan, which emphasizes environmental stewardship and access to natural environments. Research shows that children benefit from unstructured play and access to nature, he argues.

“It seems odd that they’re considering this at all,” Campbell said. “I can’t find a good reason to justify artificial turf. Even if it’s a mud pit —  and I feel that’s an unfair characterization — it doesn’t merit installing a plastic blanket on the field.”

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Artificial turf is composed of three main layers. The “grass” is green plastic. The infill material is commonly crumb rubber, made from recycled tires — although it may also be a natural material such as cork. The backing is plastic.

The European Union is set to prohibit polymeric infill such as recycled rubber as part of an effort to reduce microplastics. Last year, University of Toronto researchers who had performed an “emissions inventory” of Toronto in 2020 reported that artificial turf was responsible for the most emissions of microplastics at 237 tonnes. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends avoiding eating or drinking while directly on playground surfaces that use recycled tires, washing hands before handling food, limiting the time on the surfaces on extremely hot days, cleaning hands and exposed skin after visits to playgrounds and considering changing clothes when there are black marks or dust on fabrics.

Some jurisdictions have prohibited artificial turf for some uses. Vancouver, which still has artificial turf on sports fields, won’t allow it on boulevards and other city-owned land.

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“It’s purely aesthetic. It’s nothing else,” said Erin Eckler, a horticulturalist and mother of two. “It is not appropriate for a primary school. Professional athletes are a whole other thing. That’s a choice adults can make.”

Campbell sees the issue from two other angles. First, sports are being professionalized for young children. The oldest Mutchmor students are in Grade 6. Second, as Ottawa intensifies, children who live in apartment buildings will have fewer opportunities to experience nature, even on a schoolyard level.

Earlier this month, health and environment representatives from the Glebe Community Association weighed in at a meeting of Mutchmor’s playground committee.

Sustainability expert Kate Reekie, a member of the community association’s environmental committee, said the association asked her do some research after concerned parents came forward.

“We found that it’s not just an environmental issue, but a health and safety issue,” she said.

Among the concerns: PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals,” can be found in artificial turf. Faux fields attract heat, creating local heat islands. Artificial turf degrades in hot weather. Eventually, it has to replaced, and then swaths of plastic and rubber go into landfill. According to the City of Ottawa figures, turf on fields subject to heavy daily use must be replaced every eight to 15 years.

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“We did extensive research and it’s bad stuff,” Reekie said.

A tempest in a teapot? Opponents say there’s more at stake than one schoolyard, and they’re seeking city and school board policies on the matter.

“I concluded that I unequivocally do not want children on artificial turf. I strongly object to having artificial turf at the school or in the neighbourhood,” said Deborah Long, chair of the Glebe Community Association’s health, housing and social services committee. 

“With the EU rulings on artificial turf and many other areas around the world issuing bans, it’s time to act responsibly,” Long said. “It’s time for the city and the school boards to have policies on artificial turf.”

As it stands, three schools in Ottawa have artificial turf, including Immaculata High School, which received a $2-million turf field through a partnership with the Ottawa Footy Sevens, sparking controversy over the loss of local green space.

Mutchmor school council co-chair Alicia McCarthy, reached by email, declined to answer questions about the rationale behind the artificial turf proposal at the school, referring questions to the school board.

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According to spokesperson Joe Koraith, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board does not have a policy specific to artificial turf fields. The board currently has two turf fields, neither requiring immediate replacement.

There is no current plan for site work at the field at Mutchmor, he said. 

In December, the OCDSB announced that it was to start paying to replace deteriorating play structures. Details have not been released. However, the installation and maintenance of artificial turf fields on school grounds is the board’s responsibility, Koraith said.  

“This includes all costs, including replacement,” he said. “Fundraising for artificial turf cannot be done at the school level.” 

The Ottawa Catholic School Board says that, while it’s open to potential opportunities, it has no current plans to install more turf fields.

“Given the significant capital renewal needs across our schools, our budget remains focused on areas that directly impact student learning and well-being,” spokesperson Sharlene Hunter said.

“Additionally, with installation costs exceeding $1 million per field, funding such projects solely through fundraising is not feasible.”

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For its part, the city says the Ontario Building Code does not regulate artificial turf installations, unless they are installed on or in a building, such as a rooftop terrace — and then the synthetic greenery has to meet fire safety criteria.

“Apart from the OBC, no other regulations or bylaws involving artificial turf are enforced by (the city’s) building code services, ” said John Buck, the city’s chief building official.

The city doesn’t have health concerns.

“Synthetic turf fields are installed on an engineered sand base with a drainage system designed to effectively manage rainwater runoff,” said Dan Chenier, the city’s general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services.

“The turf and infill are made from consumer-grade materials, which may emit a temporary odour after initial installation, but pose no health concerns.”

Campbell is no stranger to artificial turf. He plays recreational soccer on the turf field at Immaculata High School.

“I think there’s a place for artificial turf. It’s more fun than a treadmill,” he said.

But kids use the yard at Mutchmor and that’s a different matter, he said. “If I put my hands on crumb rubber, I’m not putting it immediately into my mouth.”

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Ault never thought he would get involved in a school council issue. He was diagnosed with Behçet’s disease and Crohn’s disease, two autoimmune diseases, as an adult. He believes environmental exposures played a role and wants to see a school board policy that reflects health concerns.

“I want to do what I can to limit the exposure of my children and other children to harmful toxins, and hopefully reduce the risk of getting autoimmune and other diseases,” Ault said.

Meanwhile, artificial turf opponents are urging the school board and the school council to think outside the box when it comes to solving Mutchmor’s yard problem.

“We can do cool things with the yard,” Eckler said. “Please don’t put plastic in this yard.”

Campbell would prefer that the area be used for creative play rather than a pitch, perhaps reconfiguring it so it can be used for multiple purposes, allowing more students to use it at the same time.

“It’s possible that grass won’t grow there, but clover might,” he said. “For drainage reasons, perhaps there should be a knoll on the site. Trees would make good goalposts. Maybe it wouldn’t be a regulation pitch. If we’ve got our mind stuck on soccer, then we lose out on the potential.”

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A little more imagination could be put into finding out why the grass isn’t growing, Reekie said. The soil is certainly poor. Aerating the soil and grading the land would help natural grass grow. Students could get involved in composting programs, she suggests.

“I can see the issue. The school council seems reluctant to limit the use of the playground while grass could grow. But it’s short-term pain for long-term gain,” Reekie said.

“Wait and watch it grow. I think it could be a learning experience for the school.”

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