Controversial FIFA field moved from South Van to UBC

In a surprising turn, the city made a last minute decision to move a FIFA training site from South Van out west to UBC

What happened: In a surprise decision, the city announced they would be moving one of their two training sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from Memorial South Park in South Van out west to the University of British Columbia campus. 

On Monday evening, the city said they’d signed a letter of intent with UBC and the Vancouver Whitecaps to use their state-of-the-art National Soccer Development Centre as a training site and team base camp for the Canadian national team.  

  • If you were to read Monday’s announcement with fresh eyes, you might be left with the impression that this was always the plan. But the relevant backstory demonstrates that’s not the case. 

Background: As the Lookout previously reported, there was a significant pushback against the training site by neighbours around South Memorial (as the park is called by locals), specifically regarding the proposed near two-year closure of the park’s beloved rubber running oval. 

  • Cindy Heinrichs and Beth Ringdahl organized a group called Friends of Memorial South Park, passionately advocating for their cause to their neighbours, elected officials, and media (including Vancity Lookout). Their efforts led to scrutiny of the project by park board commissioners and city councillors, and significant public engagement on the issue, with over 200 people attending an open house on the project in late November. 

Heinrichs, far right, and the Friends of Memorial South Park set up their own information booth outside the Park Board’s open house information session in late November / Nate Lewis

Park Board Comm. Tom Digby was the most active of those elected officials, successfully bringing an amendment at an early December board meeting for a last-minute consideration to move the training site to UBC, despite park board and city staff emphatically advising commissioners the work needed to proceed as previously planned.  

Mea culpa (sort of): In our coverage of that meeting, I asserted Digby’s amendment seemed unlikely to go anywhere, given the tight construction timelines to deliver these fields under the city and park board’s irrevocable contractual obligations to FIFA. Additionally, a FIFA Vancouver spokesperson previously told Vancity Lookout that UBC was considered but ultimately not chosen for a variety of reasons, while staff reiterated how all possible locations had already been considered after an “extensive” and “comprehensive” two-year selection process. 

  • Given the evidence at the time it did seem unlikely the city would move the training site, but it’s clear now that the pushback from members of the public and local elected officials moved the needle enough for FIFA and the city to call an audible at the last moment. 

A shocker: It cannot be stressed enough how much of a pivot this is. Construction at Memorial South was scheduled to begin as soon as early January, with park board staff repeatedly emphasizing how crucial it was to begin construction as soon as possible to meet their deadlines with FIFA. The park board and city had gone through a request for proposals process and authorized and funded an $8.75 million construction contract for the site.

  • Neither the city nor the construction company replied to Vancity Lookout’s questions about the status of the contract. 

What we heard: “We’re elated,” Heinrichs said the morning after the announcement. “Everybody said to us, you know, you can't win this. To be honest, the way Beth and I have felt through the whole thing was, it was a compulsion to do this. We felt like we had to,” Heinrichs said, given the secrecy and lack of community consultation before they started their campaign. 

Ringdahl added that the turnout of approximately 200 people to the open house information session in November “really showed community spirit, love of the park, wanting to ask questions and understand what was going on,” she said. “I’m hoping there’s a big lesson [for the city about] the value of consultation,” Ringdahl added. 

Heinrichs said her group felt heard at the December park board meeting and she’s particularly grateful to the park board commissioners for their work on the issue. “This felt like a win for democracy. They heard the community. We had to use loud voices, but then we were heard… so it feels like a huge victory,” Hierichs said, adding she’s especially excited to share the news with all her neighbours that their park will not be closing. 

  • Ringdahl said she, her sister, and Heinrichs, have been invited to the Mayor’s Office on Wednesday morning.  

How it happened: The first indication that something had shifted at the Memorial South site was January 8, when construction began at Killarney Park – the other training venue site – but not at Memorial South. 

Then came a note from a source that the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport had been in discussion with City Manager Paul Mochrie about the Memorial South site. By last weekend, both Digby and Heinrichs told Vancity Lookout, while there was no official word or guarantees, they were hoping for progress and expected an announcement this week. 

  • A FIFA World Cup Host Committee spokesperson said FIFA “recently revised” some requirements for training sites, “allowing the City to explore alternative options.” 

“While discussions with alternative venues were ongoing, work on the Memorial South training site capital project continued to stay on track with the required delivery timelines,” of December 2025, the spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.  

What it means: Regardless of how you feel about the final outcome, this saga is a great example of the power of collective organizing at a grassroots level to influence local government. While most campaigns of this nature seem to ultimately be unsuccessful, particularly when a powerful multinational entity like FIFA is involved, this is evidence of democratic institutions responding to the concerns of their constituents. 

  • While today’s decision should rightly be viewed as a victory for civic advocacy, it remains to be seen if the government of the day draws any lessons about the importance of transparency in community engagement. 

Hosting these training sessions in a purpose-built facility, rather than at a public park with little legacy benefit, always seemed like the logical decision. That’s what neighbours and elected officials had been saying for months. Importantly, FIFA and the city got that right in the end, and their willingness to jump ship on previous plans at the last moment shows they recognized it too.