The turf portion of Bowen’s new artificial turf (AT) field has passed the border inspection and is all set to begin the final leg of its trip to Bowen – by sea.

“It’s in Richmond in a warehouse,” BICS principal David Langmuir said Wednesday after school. “And it’s coming over by barge.”

It may arrive by the end of this week, he said.

Meanwhile the infill is set to arrive next week and on Sept. 24 in the council chambers there will be an information session about the new playing surface.

Over the next while the BICS playground and outdoor area promises to be alive with activity as in addition to the AT field new play equipment is being put in and there is also work being done on two others fields.

Workers have put fencing up around the playground area where the equipment is being installed.

The second field being worked on is the grass field next to the AT field, which is being seeded and restored. The BICS website notes a new drainage system has been installed that will help drain this field.

“The irrigation system for the grass field has been connected to the schools well...and water is being drawn from that source for both construction purposes and for irrigation, thereby alleviating any pressures on the Cove Bay Water system,” the BICS site says.

And the third and final field being worked upon is a field formerly called the ‘Snake’ field on the west side of the school by the far end of the parking lot.

This field was created in part by using excavated grass taken from the area where the AT field will be.

With civil contractor work completed for the AT field, as soon as the turf arrives the installation will begin. The municipality website reports that this will take about two weeks to complete.

The Undercurrent learned from the municipality that the material used for the turf – which will be green and shaped similar to grass blades – will be a lead-free polypropylene material and that, as with the infill, the turf has the capability of being recycled.

BICS and the municipality are on record as saying that the infill material being used is organic, made with non-toxic and odour-free cork and coconut; it can be recycled and reportedly can be used as mulch.

The BICS site relays that “a group of community members and businesses volunteered equipment, supplies and their labour to install the conduit for future lighting at no additional cost to the project.” The municipality has made an application to get a Federal Recreation Infrastructure Grant for fencing and lights and a decision is expected by the end of September.

On Sept. 24, Domenic Carapella, managing director of Limonta Sport USA, and others involved in the project, will be at a public information session in council chambers. After an update and the discussion about materials being used, there will be time for questions.

The municipality has said that so far the project is on budget.