Cricket

Work continues on the new cricket pitch at Central Park as part of ongoing efforts to enhance recreational amenities and support the growing interest in cricket within the community.

Residents and park users are encouraged to stay informed about the project’s progress, including construction timelines, updates, and any related impacts. For more information on the Central Park cricket pitch construction, please visit the project’s construction page.

Thank you to everyone who attended the June 3 meeting. We truly appreciate you taking the time to join us, share your perspectives, and ask thoughtful questions.

We’re pleased to share that the “What We Heard” report is now available. This report provides a thematic summary of the questions raised during the meeting, along with responses to each topic. It is designed to capture key themes, clarify information, and ensure transparency in how feedback is being considered.

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

Thank you to everyone who came out to the June 3rd Public Information Centre. If you weren't able to attend, the presentation and information boards are now available to view.

Technical board

Overview

If you have any questions, please submit them through the Q&A tab on the page. Staff will aim to respond within 48 hours where possible. Some questions may require additional review and may take longer to answer. You can also visit the FAQ section to review previously asked questions and answers.

You can find the FAQ in this post or in the document library of this page.