City to test electric riding mower at Coronation Park sports fields

Residents who live near sports fields in Coronation Park should be in for a quieter summer this year.

That's because maintenance crews will be testing out a new electric mower that isn't as loud as conventional machines.

The pilot project centres on a solar-assisted mower that is 100 per cent electric, said Olivier Le Tynevez-Dobel, supervisor of sports fields and turf strategy with the City of Edmonton.

"We're going to test the durability, the time mowing with it," he said. "And from there we will make decisions to increase our fleet with that type of equipment."

The pilot project will monitor how efficient and environmentally friendly the mower is, and how much noise it makes.

"In the long term we're hoping the benefit of it will be lesser cost of maintenance, lesser cost on fuel, because it's electrical, and less risk for the city for any spilling, or any issue for the environment," said Le Tynevez-Dobel. "Because there is no oil and there is no fueling with this equipment."

The electrical mower costs more than a conventional one, but lasts longer, he said.

The city will officially open more than 1,600 sports fields for use starting on Monday.

For the last two weeks, more than 350 city workers have been preparing and marking fields for the various sports teams that will use them.

Despite some harsh winter weather, the fields are in good shape, Le Tynevez-Dobel said.

"Strangely enough, we didn't have that much damage," he said. "We did have about five weeks of arctic winter but the snow did the work which protected and insulated most of the grass."

To see whether a specific sports field is ready for use, check the city's website at www.edmonton.ca.