Recognising the increasing popularity of cricket, the City of Toronto is finalising a strategy to accommodate the rising demand for the sport. Initiated in 2020, this strategy will be reviewed by the executive committee on Tuesday.
Toronto, with 27 cricket pitches in city parks, some shared with other activities, aims to enhance access through new facilities and partnerships with institutions such as schools.
In a presentation on June 4, city staff noted, "Recognising that cricket is one of the fastest-growing sports in the region, a new cricket strategy is being developed to better meet this growing demand." They highlighted that the demand for youth cricket programs and facilities is surging across various communities in the city.
Three Key Goals of the Cricket Strategy
The cricket strategy focuses on three primary goals: increasing the number of fields, improving the quality of existing fields, and creating more opportunities to play. So far, the city has upgraded pitches at several parks, including Cedarvale Park and Flemingdon Park, and launched beginner cricket programs at multiple locations in 2023, all of which have full enrolment and waitlists.
For 2025, projects funded this year include a full-size, fully-lit cricket field at McCleary Park and additional practice cages at Byng Park. The city is also considering converting baseball diamonds at Corvette Park into a full-sized cricket pitch. Partnering with school boards is seen as a key strategy to further enhance cricket offerings.
"The city is continuing discussions with school board staff to identify opportunities for constructing new cricket facilities on school properties for both school and community use," staff noted. They are also exploring ways to increase student access to cricket programming, including investing in practice pitches and converting underutilised baseball diamonds.
Over the next 20 years, the city plans to upgrade three existing cricket pitches and build up to five new fields.
Strategy Integration by Year-End
The city aims to integrate the cricket strategy into its facilities master plan five-year review by the end of the year, though this timeline may change. On Tuesday, the executive committee will review a request from the city-school boards advisory council for the general manager of parks, forestry, and recreation to present a report at its October 21 meeting.
The advisory council's report should include a "plan that outlines how the City of Toronto can formally collaborate with school boards to develop partnerships, identify new opportunities to build and provide access to cricket fields, practice cages, and cricket equipment," it stated. The plan should also aim to "increase access to cricket programs for children and youth in both City of Toronto and school board facilities."