The Municipality of Grey Highlands is going to consider reducing the number of ballparks it supports.
At a special committee of the whole meeting on July 31, Grey Highlands council passed a pair of resolutions about the future of the number of ballparks in the municipality. Council requested a staff report about the possibility of reducing the total number of ballparks in the community to four class-one diamonds for adults and youth play.
Council also passed a resolution asking staff to consider repurposing underutilized ball diamonds in rural areas to make space for other recreational facilities or activities.
The initial resolution suggested the class-one parks be located at Flesherton, Markdale and Badjeros, however council preferred to remove the specific locations in favour of a more general report about ballpark usage and where four class 1 facilities could potentially be located. Council also voted to change the second resolution on the future of the ballparks that would not be maintained as class 1 facilities. Council was not comfortable with using the word “decommission” and instead changed it to “repurpose.”
“If you were to recommend cutting some of the ball diamonds outright, you’d be committing political suicide,” said Coun. Dan Wickens.
Coun. Paul Allen said “repurpose” is a softer word and that it was important for council to provide direction to staff on how to proceed on ballparks.
“I don’t think we should be making any final decisions, but we need some kind of decision today for the public to give their feedback,” he said.
Other members of council wanted to see more data about the ballparks before committing to a direction.
“It would be good to have a more in-depth report of what is ball in Grey Highlands,” said Mayor Paul McQueen. “I’d like to get more information about what is happening with ball.”
Coun. Nadia Dubyk agreed.
“We need all the stakeholders at the table,” said Duyk, who called for usage data to be developed. “We don’t always have needs data.”
Staff said the conversation should include a discussion about roles and functions. MIchele Harris, the municipality’s director of economic and community development, said the municipality does not have a lot of data on ballpark usage as organized ball is run by community groups and the facilities are not rented like municipal ice rinks.
“Whose role is it to take responsibility for some of this activity?” Harris said. “What is the role of the community here? What is the role of the municipality?”
Ultimately, members of council said they needed more information before a definitive direction could be decided.
“Why is it four? Why not just two?” McQueen asked.
Dubyk agreed and said at this point, council does not have enough information to make the decision. Dubyk said she doesn’t know if the municipality should have two, three, four or five ballparks and called for staff to bring back an assessment and business case.
Allen said he would not want to see a decision made to remove a ballpark, only to have it come back to haunt the municipality.
“I’d hate to remove a ball diamond and then, because of the popularity of ball, have to put them back in,” said Allen.
