KINGSTON, Ont. (May 26, 2025) – Queen's University and Athletics & Recreation proudly marked the official reopening of Nixon Field on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating the installation of a leading sustainable playing surface.
With the installation of carbon-sequestering turf, the revitalized field will function like an "invisible forest," capturing carbon from the atmosphere at a rate equivalent to more than 11-acres of trees.
This innovative upgrade marks Queen's as the first post-secondary institute in North America to capitalize on environmental technologies to promote carbon sequestration via turf replacement with project partners Canadian Wollastonite and FieldTurf.
"Creating a space where students and student-athletes can perform and excel, while aligning with the key environmental objectives and sustainability goals of both the University and the City of Kingston, was truly a win-win," said
Linda Melnick, Executive Director, Athletics & Recreation.
"I'm thrilled about this project. As one of the first institutions in North America to capitalize on this technology, it reinforces our leadership in making meaningful changes to physical spaces, changes that deliver broad and lasting impact."
Gallery: (5-26-2025) Nixon Field Reopening Ceremony
"More than 14,000 students play and compete each year on Nixon Field," said Corinna Fitzgerald, Acting Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs.
"Nixon Field is also a space that provides opportunities for broader community members and teams, as part of Queen's support of community youth sport partnerships and broader partnerships with Provincial and National Sport Organizations.
"Queen's Students Affairs is dedicated to supporting student health and wellbeing, inclusive spaces, and community-building. Sport and recreation advances all of these goals – and this revitalized turf field supports the vibrant and enriching student experience that makes Queen's so special."
Carbon sequestering will occur on Nixon Field through a process called Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). Carbon reducing minerals such as wollastonite, a calcium silicate, can be mined and processed into a fine powered to maximize it's surface area, which speeds up carbon sequestration process.
During the field resurfacing, the wollastonite powder was added to the infill beneath the new turf. The field is now expected to sequester the carbon equivalent of 165 tree seedlings grown over ten years, or approximately 11.7 acres of forest annually.
"[Wollastonite] absorbs CO2 naturally as it sits out in the environment. By breaking it down, we speed up the amount of CO2 the mineral can absorb. This is a positive thing because it takes it into a solid form that we can then manage," said Warren Mabee, Director, Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy.
"This is long-term sequestration of carbon. When you start to think about all the different places where you could use this kind of technology, there's huge promise to helping us address climate change.
The wollastonite is mined locally, through Canadian Wollastonite, located 35km from the field on the northeastern edge of Kingston, in Seeley's Bay.
The new surface also comes with improved underpadding to help with concussion and injury prevention.
Nixon Field's revitalization aligns with several strategic institutional goals, including research impact, student education, and global engagement.
About Nixon Field
A premier facility in the heart of campus, Nixon Field provides wellbeing and competitive sport opportunities for over 14,000 recreational participants, varsity athletes, and Kingston community sports groups annually.
Originally known as Kingston Field, Nixon Field was renamed in 2012 following a generous donation from Queen's alumni and former Royal Bank of Canada CEO, Gordon Nixon (Com'79) and his wife, Janet Nixon (Com'80).
In 2021, Queen's University hosted the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship, where Queen's Women's Rugby won the first national championship in program history, and the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship (CUMRC), where Queen's Men's Rugby earned the bronze medal.
About Canadian Wollastonite
Canadian Wollastonite is a local Kingston area mining company that is a leader in research in the effects of Wollastonite and developing environmentally conscious solutions for a modern world.
About FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a world leader in artificial turf with advanced technologies that service over 25,000 installations worldwide including many Canadian University Institutions (e.g. Queen's).
