Université Sainte-Anne

The Challenge

Université Sainte-Anne is a hub for education, economic activity, and recreation in the community of Pointe-de-l’Église, Nova Scotia, Canada. Skirted by nature trails and nestled between St. Mary’s Bay and an Acadian scenic roadway, the university also strives to be a model for sustainable practices that conserve energy, protect wildlife, and preserve the overall quality of life. When Sainte-Anne decided to light a new running track and soccer field, the university had high standards for a lighting solution that would meet the needs of athletes while protecting neighbors and the night sky.

The Solution

Director of Facilities Julien Comeau discovered the university’s project objectives aligned closely with the vision of DarkSky International, a nonprofit organization that provides third-party guidelines and certification for outdoor sports lighting projects.

Sainte-Anne worked with its consultants to include DarkSky certification criteria in its bid (tender) documents, requiring any successful lighting provider to meet strict standards for minimizing glare, light trespass, and light pollution.

Canada’s First DarkSky-Approved Sports Project

The successful bidder partnered with Musco to install a custom-designed lighting system using Musco’s Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology. The DarkSky team reviewed and approved the lighting design for Phase 1 certification, then later conducted an expert on-site evaluation for Phase 2 – ultimately earning Sainte-Anne recognition as home of the first DarkSky approved outdoor sports facility in Canada.

Results for Athletes and Neighbors

The lighting system distributes high-quality, uniform illumination across the field of play while keeping glare out of athletes’ eyes and preventing light from spilling beyond the edges of the property. Athletes from the university, high school, soccer leagues, and broader community can enjoy the facility without disturbing nearby wildlife, interrupting nature trail tours, or interfering with a local astronomical observatory.

Peace of Mind

In addition to the benefits of a DarkSky-certified system, the university enjoys the convenience of Musco’s fully staffed 24/7 support center and peace of mind from a warranty that eliminates maintenance costs until 2048.