History of Cricket at Central Park

Cricket at Central Park is the result of a phased approach shaped by community interest, public consultation, and ongoing Council direction over time.

Interest in cricket began to grow in Burlington in the late 2000s, as local clubs worked with the City to introduce the sport as part of creating a more inclusive and diverse recreation system. In 2010 staff originally pursued a permanent pitch at Lowville but following public consultation, turned to a temporary option. Later that year and following committee engagement, Council supported staff installing a pilot temporary cricket field at Central Park instead. This pilot allowed the City to test demand, gather community input, and monitor impacts on existing park users. Feedback was generally supportive of the trial approach, and no significant concerns were identified at Central Park. In 2011 and 2012,the City explored building a permanent cricket pitch at a different location within the parks system. The review included Lowville Park, City View Park, Millcroft Park and Ireland Park. The findings concluded that there was not the comfort level to displace other established or proposed sports fields to build a new cricket facility and therefore the pitch at Central Park was approved for continued use. In 2014, through a partnership with Cricket Burlington and external grant funding, a permanent central artificial turf pitch and storage unit was constructed at Central Park. This eliminated the temporary roll-out mat and intense level of effort pre/post games and was endorsed by council. This marked an important transition from a temporary setup to a more permanent and sustained presence within the park.

Since then, demand for cricket has grown significantly, reflecting Burlington’s changing and increasingly diverse population. The City’s 2024 Live and Play Plan confirms that cricket is now a growing priority, with participation increasing and the Central Park field experiencing pressure due to its shared, multi-use nature. The Plan also highlights that Central Park currently remains Burlington’s only cricket field, shared with existing sports, which limits expansion and access. Through extensive community engagement; including surveys, public sessions, and stakeholder discussions, residents expressed a desire for more diverse recreation opportunities, including additional cricket facilities.

As a result, the City is now planning for the next phase of cricket’s evolution. The Live and Play Plan identifies the need for multiple dedicated cricket fields over time (3 new facilities by 2051), with new facilities to be explored at locations, including Sherwood Forest Park. Future sites will reduce pressure on Central Park while continuing to support the sport’s growth city-wide.

In summary, cricket at Central Park reflects a community-informed, evidence-based evolution: it began as a temporary pilot, was refined through public input and monitoring, enhanced through partnership investment, and is now part of a broader city-wide strategy to expand access to the sport. This approach ensured that decisions were made gradually, based on real use, community feedback and changing needs, rather than through a single, one-time decision