Cricket Strategy

Cricket is popular in Toronto and is one of the fastest-growing sports across the region. City staff are in the process of developing a Cricket Strategy to better meet this growing demand.

Project Timeline

April to June 2020

  • Background review and analysis
  • Cricket needs assessment

June to September 2020

  • Initial stakeholder meeting
  • Work with stakeholders to:
    • Establish new parameters to describe cricket fields and maintenance to support Permit Classifications
    • Identify and prioritize sites for improvement
    • Identify locations for new cricket fields
  • Develop design guidelines for field types

September 2020 to March 2021

  • Establish a Cricket Strategy Reference Group
  • Host a Cricket Town Hall with players and stakeholders
  • Present final strategy and report to City Council

As part of the 20-year Facilities Master Plan (FMP), City staff reviewed Toronto’s existing cricket facilities to determine if improvements and/or new facilities are required to keep up with demand. The review recommended the following actions over the next 20 years:

  • Upgrade three existing cricket pitches
    • Upgrades will increase the overall capacity of existing fields to support more opportunities for play
    • Upgrades may include improvements to field quality and support amenities like washrooms, seating, lighting, etc.
  • Create up to five new cricket pitches
    • New pitches will be regulation size and may be shared with other recreational activities (e.g. across two full-size soccer fields)
    • Accommodating new pitches may require the City to explore opportunities for land use partnerships, acquiring new land and or redesigning existing parks

City staff are in the process of developing a Cricket Strategy to support and inform this work. The strategy will help the City:

  • Understand the needs of the cricket community, including facility needs, field design, locations, unstructured play options, and supporting amenities.
  • Build relationships with the cricket community and other partners and ensure that the cricket community is fully engaged in the process.
  • Support the growth of cricket across Toronto’s communities through programming and partnerships.

The Cricket Strategy will include:

  • Identified locations for new cricket pitches and opportunities for upgrading existing pitches.
  • Guidelines for the design of cricket pitches and supporting facilities including practice wickets.
  • A recreation plan for supporting cricket in Toronto through activities such as coaching support and youth programming.

There are currently 27 cricket pitches within City parks, some of which are temporary or shared with other activities.

This is a map of Toronto that shows the number and types of cricket pitches that exist throughout the city. The City base-map is divided into the four boroughs of Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, and East York/Downtown. There are three permit classifications of cricket pitch represented. Premier pitches are bright blue. B classification pitches are moss green, and C classification pitches are grey. The number of pitches in a park is represented by the size of the circle in that park. Smaller circles are one pitch, medium circles are two pitches, and large circles are three pitches. There are three parks with Premier pitches, three parks with B classification pitches, and eleven parks with C classification pitches. Below this map is a chart which contains the name and location of each park that contains cricket pitches, along with the number of pitches at that park.

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact Matt Bentley at 416-392-3949 or Matt.Bentley@toronto.ca.

Location Name Address Number of Pitches Classification of Pitch (for booking)
Ashtonbee Reservoir Park 10 Ashtonbee Rd. 2 C
Caledonia Park 1141 Caledonia Rd. 2 C
Cedarvale Park 443 Arlington Ave. 1 C
Centennial Park – Etobicoke 256 Centennial Park Rd. 2 C
Dentonia Park 80 Thyra Ave. 1 C
Ellesmere Reservoir Park 2950 Ellesmere Rd. 2 B
Fergy Brown Park 3700 Eglinton Ave. W. 2 Premier
Flemingdon Park 150 Grenoble Dr. 1 C
G. Ross Lord Park 4801 Dufferin St. 2 Premier
Keele Reservoir 4995 Keele St. 2 C
L’amoreaux Hydro 1785 McNicoll Ave. 1 B
Remberto Navia 65 Norfinch Dr. 1 C
Riverdale Park West 550 Broadview Ave. 1 B
Summerlea Park 2 Arcot Blvd. 1 C
Sunnybrook Park 1132 Leslie St. 3 Premier
Terry Fox Park 300 Bamburgh Cir. 1 C
Thackeray Park 2955 Kipling Ave. 1 C
Wexford Hydro  55 Elm Bank Rd. 1 C

 

June 24, 2020

Stakeholder Meeting

The first cricket stakeholder meeting was held online. The meeting included an overview presentation of the Facilities Master Plan, future Cricket Strategy and future Cricket Reference Group. Each presentation was followed by a discussion period where participants could share their questions, comments and suggestions.

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