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Game Changer: A New Era for our Outdoor Athletics and Recreation

An older man wearing a blue suit is standing tall and proud, smiling with his arms crossed in front of a school.

“Some of life’s most important lessons are learned on the field.”

A Message From the Head of School

At Ashbury, learning and growth happen everywhere, both inside our classrooms and across our campus. Our outdoor spaces are where students develop skills, pursue their passions, compete as teammates, and build the confidence that comes from active participation.

Today, we have an opportunity to transform these outdoor spaces into a modern and inspiring hub for athletics, recreation, and community connection. At the heart of this vision is a state-of-the-art artificial turf field, which will meaningfully expand time spent outdoors on our largest outdoor asset, complemented by enhanced track and field spaces, improved pathways, and welcoming spaces for play and gathering.

More than a facilities project, this is an investment in the wellbeing, potential, and experience of every Ashbury student, today and for generations to come.

Norman Southward
Head of School – Directeur

Game changers open doors. 10% of every donation to this campaign will support need-based financial students because building extraordinary future for Ashbury means creating opportunities for extraordinary students.

Video Credits: Lauren Hewison ’25 and the Ashbury Media Club

“The benefits of a turf field are beyond measure for the athletics and physical
education programs at Ashbury College. It would increase our ability to offer
curricular and co-curricular experiences for our students and put our facilities on par with the majority of independent schools in Canada and certainly in Ontario.”

– Jon Landon, Director of Athletics

The Game Plan: A Vision for our New Outdoor Spaces

Conceptual Design Notice: These drawings depict the current project concept. Design elements may be modified during project development.

Project Timeline

The Game Changer Impact

A team of Ashbury Football players in their uniforms all take a knee and surround the coach on the field.

Safer Playing Surfaces

Consistent playing surface across seasons
Fewer weather-related closures and cancellations
More opportunities and space for practices, games, and tournaments

A young girl wearing an Ashbury top is kicking a soccer ball while another young girl defends on a bright autumn day.

More Time for Play

Extended Spring and Fall playing seasons
Reduced pressure on indoor spaces, more time outdoors for learning, connection and well-being
On-site track and field fixtures including a sprint track and a run track with a jump pit

A team of young field hockey girls huddle up and put their hands in the middle for a team cheer on a cloudy day.

People-Forward

Commitment to a turf solution free from PFAS materials
Reduced reliance on off-site facilities, eliminating the need for long commutes for students
10% of all donations will be directed to need-based financial assistance

A Commitment to our Students

Athletics

Athletics build teamwork, resilience, and leadership. Enhanced facilities will provide student athletes with more opportunities to train, compete and learn.

Recreation

The new field and surrounding amenities will increase year-round recreational opportunities. For boarders, the outdoor campus is their backyard, a vital space for activity, connection, and community.

Physical Education

Physical education is a key part of the Ashbury experience. Modern accessible facilities will support engaging, year-round learning that helps students develop healthy habits.

From our Co-Chairs

An older man in a suit is smiling next to a middle-aged woman

As alumni, we know firsthand the impact Ashbury has on its students. We are proud to support this vision for our outdoor campus, an investment that will enhance student life, strengthen our community, and inspire generations of Ashburians to come. In keeping with Ashbury’s commitment to accessibility and opportunity, 10% of all campaign gifts will support need-based student financial assistance, helping ensure that deserving students can benefit from an Ashbury education.

Together, we have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on our school and on the lives of current and future students. We invite you to join us in making this vision a reality.

Jeff Hill ’91 & Nikola Ruddy ’09
Game Changer Co-Chairs

Meet our Committee

Executive Members

Emily Amano ’18, Ottawa Rapids FC
Michelle Holman, Retired Head of Physical Education and Head Coach, Track and Field
Jon Landon, Director of Athletics and Head Coach sr Boys’ Football, Former CFL Player
Karr-Ming Lee, Current Parent
Liza Mrak ’91
Andrew Nichols ’91
Kevin Pidgeon, Property and Building Committee, Ashbury College Board of Governors
Lambert Pomerleau ’20
Teddy Taggart ’11

Honourary Members

Stewart Johnston ’90, Commissioner, CFL
Nathan Bombrys, CEO, Rugby Canada
Julianne Zussman ’04, International Rugby Officiant, Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee, Athletic Director University of Victoria
Melissa Forgie, Chair, Ashbury College Board of Governors
Hugh Scott ’88, Chair, Ashbury College Foundation Board

3 girls dressed in red Ashbury field hockey uniforms high-five and are smiling on a turf field

Make Game Changer a Reality

2 younger girls in soccer jerseys happily bumping shoulders and celebrating

Let’s make an impact!

Because of people like you, Game Changer is becoming a reality. Every gift brings us closer to creating exceptional spaces for athletics, recreation, and learning while expanding opportunities for generations of Ashbury students.

In addition, 10% of every donation to this campaign will support need-based financial students because building extraordinary future for Ashbury means creating opportunities for extraordinary students.

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3 young boys playing with a jump rope on the field.

“Game Changer will significantly increase students’ outdoor physical activity time and enhance their sense of belonging. With on-site facilities, students and coaches can avoid the hassle of travelling, fostering well-being and community spirit. Game Changer will also bring our community together more frequently, allowing everyone to support our athletes and strengthen our Ashbury community bonds.”

– Anjelien Slater, Director of Student Success and Wellness

Impact Stories

Emily Amano ’18 Noah Cantor ’89 Julianne Zussman ’04

Emily Amano ’18

Professional Soccer Player, Ottawa Rapids

At Ashbury College, Emily Amano found more than a place to play soccer. She found a community that gave her the confidence to challenge herself, teammates who pushed her to grow, and coaches who taught her that success is built one practice, one game, and one difficult moment at a time. A member of the Class of 2018, Emily arrived at Ashbury with a passion for sports and left with a deeper understanding of what it meant to be an athlete and a leader. Whether it was the intensity of training, the excitement of game day, or the camaraderie of being part of a team, her Ashbury Athletics experience helped shape the person she would become.

She still remembers the moments that made those years special—the laughter and conversations with teammates before and after practices and the feeling of working toward a shared goal. Those experiences taught her some of sport’s most important lessons including trusting your teammates, responding when things don’t go your way, and showing up when the work gets hard.

That foundation carried Emily to the next level. Recruited to play NCAA Division I soccer at Colgate University, she continued to develop as both an athlete and a leader. From there, her journey took her overseas for a professional career before bringing her home to Canada, where she now plays for Ottawa Rapid FC in the Northern Super League.

Emily’s journey is a powerful example of how school athletics can shape a young person far beyond the playing field. The habits developed through sport, including commitment, resilience, teamwork, discipline, and perseverance become part of who students are, preparing them for university, careers, relationships, and future opportunities. Just as importantly, athletics give students a place to belong. They foster friendships that can last a lifetime and teach young people to celebrate one another’s successes, overcome setbacks together, and discover capabilities they may never have known they possessed.

For Emily, that journey began at Ashbury and continues today on a professional field in Canada, with the lessons, memories, and foundation she built there still shaping the player and person she is today.

Emily Amano wearing an Ashbury soccer jersey is running up the field kicking a soccer ball with an opponent closely following her.

Noah Cantor proudly standing in-front of his signed football jersey framed behind him.

Noah Cantor ’89

Defence Coordinator, UBC Thunderbirds, Former CFL Player

For Noah Cantor, the lessons that shaped a championship career began at Ashbury, long before he stepped onto a CFL field.

A member of Ashbury’s Class of 1989, Noah captained both the football and basketball teams, earning MVL honours in football and the MVP award in basketball. He went on to play football at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, where he was named a CIAU All-Canadian three times and was twice nominated for the J.P. Metras Trophy, awarded to the top lineman in Canadian university football.

Today, Noah continues to make an impact as Defensive Coordinator for the UBC Thunderbirds football program, mentoring the next generation of student-athletes, alongside a successful career as an entrepreneur and business owner. Whether on the field, in business, or as a coach, the qualities first nurtured through school athletics—leadership, resilience, accountability, and teamwork— remain at the heart of his success.

Champions are not defined by trophies alone, but by the values they carry forward into their careers, communities, and lives. Noah’s story is a testament to the lasting influence of athletics in shaping leaders of character and purpose.

Vintage black-and-white photo of a football player wearing jersey number 56, standing outdoors with teammates and a serious expression.

Julianne Zussman standing in the middle of two other men. They are holding up her Rugby Jersey at a rugby game.

Julianne Zussman ’04

International Rugby Officiant, Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee, Athletic Director University of Victoria

Julianne Zussman’s journey in rugby began at Ashbury College. What started as the opportunity to try a sport quickly became a lifelong passion; one that carried her from school competition to the international stage.

Representing Canada for more than a decade, Julianne earned 44 international caps, competed at the highest levels of women’s rugby, captured a silver medal at the 2014 Rugby World Cup, and has since continued to shape the sport as an international match official and a leader in university athletics.

For Julianne, sport has always been about more than winning. It has opened doors to leadership, lifelong friendships, travel, resilience, and opportunities she never imagined when she first stepped onto Ashbury’s main playing field.

Her story is a powerful reminder that investing in athletics is an investment in young people. Exceptional facilities don’t simply develop stronger athletes—they build confidence, character, teamwork, and ambition. They create the environment where students discover what they’re capable of, and where a single opportunity can become a lifetime of impact.

Every great journey starts somewhere. Julianne’s started at Ashbury.

Julianne Zussman in her Ashbury uniform running away from opponents with a rugby ball in her hand

Together, we can make Ashbury a Game Changer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ashbury’s vision is for every student to have optimal spaces to learn, play, move, and compete. This project will create a safe, durable, and inspiring space for all students, expanding time outdoors via physical education classes, 3x/day recess for Junior School students, extended playing seasons for competitive and recreational teams, and ensuring Ashbury can continue to host our flagship community events for years to come.

Ashbury will install a high-quality artificial turf field on the main playing field, along with new track and field facilities, including a sprint and hurdle lane with a deceleration zone and long/triple jump pit. The project also includes a multi-purpose outdoor plaza for classes, recess, and community gatherings, as well as improvements to pathways and wayfinding. The practice field will remain natural grass.

These enhancements will expand opportunities for athletics, physical education, and outdoor programming while reducing weather-related cancellations and reliance on off-site facilities. They will provide a safer, more reliable playing surface, extend the outdoor sports season, and create a more vibrant campus that reflects the energy and excellence of the Ashbury community.

Ashbury athletics will continue while construction is underway. Teams will be relocated to off-site facilities when needed, and students will continue to get full access to athletics and physical education without losing valuable training time.

Construction will tentatively take place between March 2027 – August 2027, with the goal of opening the new facilities in time for Homecoming in late September 2027. The Ashbury community will be updated as details are confirmed.

Construction is expected to affect the main field and portions of the practice field area during the spring of 2027. The school will coordinate alternate on-campus and off-site locations for athletics, physical education, and other scheduled activities. Some schedules and locations will need to change while construction is underway.

Modern synthetic turf systems are designed and tested to provide a consistent and predictable playing surface. Ashbury’s selected system will be evaluated for shock absorption, traction, surface temperature, drainage, and applicable sport-performance standards. As with any athletic surface, appropriate footwear, regular testing, and ongoing maintenance are important to player safety.

In addition, Ashbury is carefully reviewing the materials used throughout the proposed turf system, including the turf fibres, backing, and infill. The school is considering systems that use natural or lower-impact infill materials, such as cork, and will seek clear information from the selected supplier regarding PFAS, product testing, warranties, maintenance requirements, and end-of-life recycling. A final system will only be selected after the school completes its technical, environmental, and safety due diligence.

While no sport can be completely without risk of injury, an even playing surface has been shown to reduce the incidents of injury.

This project is expected to reduce the need to transport students and teams to off-site athletic facilities, helping to lower transportation-related emissions. Compared with the existing natural-grass main field, the turf field will also reduce the need for irrigation, mowing, fertilizer use, and periods when the field must be closed for recovery.

The design will include engineered drainage and stormwater-management measures appropriate for the site. Ashbury is also evaluating turf systems based on their materials, heat-reduction features, infill containment, maintenance requirements, durability, and end-of-life recycling options. The school recognizes that synthetic turf still requires regular inspection, cleaning, grooming, and eventual replacement. Environmental performance and ongoing maintenance will therefore remain important considerations in the final selection and operation of the field.

This project is being 100% funded through the generosity of our community. We are not increasing tuition to cover these costs, instead, we’re inviting families, alumni, and friends to help make this vision a reality. Ashbury is grateful to have a legacy of philanthropy that have shaped the school over the last 135+ years. 10% of all donations will be allocated to the Ashbury College Endowment to support need-based student financial assistance.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Young, Director of Development at stephanie.young@ashbury.ca