Cricket, anyone? Toronto creating strategy to meet ‘growing demand’

Recognizing its growing popularity, the City of Toronto is finalizing a cricket strategy to better meet rising demand.

The development of the strategy, which began in 2020, will be considered by the executive committee at its meeting on Tuesday.

With 27 cricket pitches within city parks, some of which are shared with other activities, Toronto wants to increase access to the sport through new facilities and partnerships with institutions like schools.

“Recognizing that cricket is one of the fastest-growing sports across the region, a new cricket strategy is being developed to better meet this growing demand,” staff said in a June 4 presentation.

“Demand for youth cricket programs and access to cricket facilities is increasing in many communities across the city.”

In that presentation, staff said the cricket strategy focuses on three goals: more fields, better fields and more opportunities to play.

So far, the city has made pitch improvements at several parks, including Cedarvale Park and Flemingdon Park, as well as offering beginner cricket programming at several locations in 2023. Those programs are full with waitlists, staff said.

They identified a number of projects for 2025 – funded this year – which include introducing a full-size, fully-lit cricket field at McCleary Park and additional practice cages at Byng Park. They are also exploring converting baseball diamonds at Corvette Park to a full-sized cricket pitch.

However, staff said partnering with school boards could further boost cricket offerings to those wanting to play in the city.

“The city is looking to continue discussion with school board staff to identify opportunities to invest in the construction of new cricket facilities on school properties for school and community use,” they said.

And “explore opportunities to increase student access to cricket programming.”

Some of those opportunities include investing in practice pitches, converting underutilized baseball diamonds and exploring programming to broaden participation.

Over the next 20 years, the city hopes to upgrade three existing cricket pitches and build up to five new fields.

The plan is to have the cricket strategy integrated into the facilities master plan five-year review by year’s end, the city says on its website, though that timeline may change.

On Tuesday, the executive committee will consider an ask from the city-school boards advisory council to have the general manager of parks, forestry and recreation deliver a report at its Oct. 21 meeting.

The advisory council wants that report to include a “plan that outlines how the City of Toronto can formally collaborate with school boards to develop partnerships to identify new opportunities to build and provide access to cricket fields, practice cages and cricket equipment,” it said.

“As well as to increase access to cricket programs for children and youth in both City of Toronto and school board facilities.”

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