Frank Rossi talks with Robert Heggie, director of grounds for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (Toronto FC and Toronto Argonauts), about his journey from Barbados to golf courses in Canada to 17 years transforming BMO Field into a premier hybrid grass stadium.
Heggie details the stadium’s advanced hydronic system and forced-air heating, inflatable growing tarps and grow lights that let him manage natural grass through brutal Canadian winters while juggling overlapping MLS and CFL seasons. He describes the harrowing four-week sprint to rebuild the field from a battered post-season surface into World Cup-ready condition ahead of hosting six matches this summer, using aggressive reseeding, tarping and precise testing (Clegg, G-Max, rotational resistance) to hit peak performance by kickoff.
The conversation also covers the technical evolution of hybrid stitching depth, shifting from deep 180-mm stitches to a shallow 80-mm approach that allows faster resodding, plus the balancing act of hosting concerts and other non-sporting events without impacting playability.
Heggie closes by reflecting on the sports turf industry’s growing sophistication and encouraging young turf students to look beyond golf toward the rewarding, if underappreciated, world of professional sports field management.
