Brampton's first fully accessible baseball diamond ready for community use
On April 29, the community gathered for the City of Brampton, Peel District School Board (PDSB) and Jays Care Foundation's grand opening event for the Peel District School Board and City of Brampton Field Of Dreams Accessible Baseball Diamond. The field, which was completed in December 2021, is now ready for community use.
Brampton was one of 12 recipients of a Jays Care Foundation Field Of Dreams grant in Canada in 2020. The grant provides funding to design, refurbish and build accessible spaces for children and youth to play baseball, stay healthy and active and develop life skills. The City of Brampton provided one-third of the funding for the project, with PDSB funding another third and the Jays Care Foundation grant providing the remaining third of the cost.
The first of its kind in Brampton, the Field Of Dreams is an excellent addition to the green space between Judith Nyman Secondary School and Williams Parkway Senior Public School. Located at 1305 Williams Pkwy., the baseball diamond is close enough for students at Chinguacousy Secondary School to use and there is easy access to Highway 410, making the site convenient for all Brampton residents. The project is another great example of a public partnership between the Peel District School Board and the City of Brampton to increase access to recreational amenities for both students and residents across Brampton, and is expected to be well used by the Peel Board and community organizations such as Challenger Baseball and Special Olympics.
The new Field Of Dreams boasts substantial accessibility and functionality features: an artificial turf infield; modified base paths (60'); a shorter outfield; a modified pitcher's mound with no grade change; accessible players' bench area; and concrete access pathways to the field. The outfield is made of natural grass and the warning track is made of hard-packed gravel.
An accessible ramp and parking spots have been added to the Terry Miller Recreation Centre parking lot for people using the Field Of Dreams. Other features of the baseball diamond include: bleacher seating for fans behind home plate; four pitcher mounds for different user groups; and an outfield fence only 225 feet from home plate.
To book the Field Of Dreams baseball diamond, residents, sports groups and community organizations that require barrier-free facilities can contact the City's sports field rentals unit at 905-874-BOOK (2665) or email facilityrentals@brampton.ca.
About the Peel District School Board
The Peel District School Board (PDSB) is a racially, culturally and linguistically diverse board that serves 155,000+ students in 259 schools across Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga. PDSB is the seconded largest school board in Canada as well as the largest employer in Peel Region. Learn more at www.peelschools.org.
About Jays Care Foundation
Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, uses baseball as a tool to teach life skills and create lasting social change for over 35,000 children and youth across Canada. Jays Care proudly works in all ten provinces and two territories running community programs to level the playing field for Canadian kids facing barriers. The organization has also invested over $10 million through Field Of Dreams to support the building or refurbishment of more than 100 diamonds and recreation spaces. In 2020, Jays Care was awarded MLB's Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence recognizing the Blue Jays Community Commitment, a $7.5 million COVID-19 response plan that supported those disproportionately affected by the pandemic across Canada.
Quotes
"Batter up, Brampton! We are proud to announce that the Field of Dreams Accessible Baseball Diamond is officially open for bookings. Thank you to our partners at the Peel District School Board and Jays Care Foundation for helping make Brampton's first fully accessible baseball diamond a reality."
- Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
"Brampton is a Healthy and Safe City, and we are excited to provide new spaces and opportunities for everyone to have fun, stay active and play. The Field of Dreams is an excellent addition to our community, in partnership with the Peel District School Board and Jays Care Foundation."
- Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor Wards 1 & 5; Chair, Community Services, City of Brampton
"The City of Brampton, Peel District School Board and Jays Care Foundation are proud to present the Field of Dreams, an inclusive space for all to play. Children and youth of all abilities, residents, sports groups, community organizations and anyone who wants some time on the baseball diamond can book the space by contacting Brampton Recreation."
- Charmaine Williams, City Councillor Wards 7 & 8; Vice-Chair, Community Services, City of Brampton
"The City of Brampton is dedicated to bringing investment to our community. The Field of Dreams is an important investment in our community's health and well-being, and we thank our partners at the Peel District School Board and Jays Care Foundation."
- Paul Morrison, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, City of Brampton
"The Peel District School Board and City of Brampton Field of Dreams marks an important investment in Peel District School Board's continued focus on building inclusive environments that promote health and well-being. We would not be here today without the support of our partners, the City of Brampton and Jays Care Foundation. This is a true testament to the great things that can be accomplished when we work together building community."
- Rashmi Swarup, Director of Education, PDSB
"Jays Care Foundation is proud to have worked with great partners to bring to life the Judith Nyman Field Of Dreams - a fully accessible baseball diamond and the first of its kind in the City of Brampton. We are excited to offer an inclusive and safe space for children of all abilities in Challenger Baseball to come together, stay active and have fun with other members of their community. We thank both the Peel District School Board and our incredible donors for their help in bringing this project to life."
- Robert Witchel, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation
