The provincial government is contributing $175,000 towards upgrades to North Delta’s Delview Park.
Friday’s funding announcement comes as Delta prepares to install a cricket pitch at the park — the city’s first — in time for the upcoming season.
“People in my community have told me that they want to see a new cricket field, covered benches, batting cage and washroom at Delview Park, and it’s great to see the support of the province on this,” Kahlon said in press release. “The investment our government is making in recreation facilities in North Delta today will have an impact on people in our community for years to come.”
The release noted the province’s investment comes after a year and a half of advocacy on Kahlon’s part.
“The city is grateful for this funding from the province towards new amenities at Delview Park and appreciates MLA Kahlon’s support,” Delta Mayor George Harvie said in a press release. “This investment complements our Delta Families First initiative as these upgrades will greatly enhance recreation and social opportunities at Delview Park.”
On Monday, Feb. 11, Delta council endorsed a report by city staff to install the pitch between two baseball diamonds at Delview Park. According to the report, there are some 200 cricket players in North Delta and the “lack of a cricket field in Delta is becoming more pronounced with the increasing interest in the sport.”
READ MORE: Delta’s first cricket pitch slated for Delview Park
The installation of the pitch will involve laying down a strip clay or asphalt and covering it with a “low-profile synthetic turf surface on which the bowler pitches the ball to the batter,” according to the city report. A 15-foot-high safety netting is also planned along the eastern perimeter of the pitch where there is currently an off-leash dog park.
The city committed $35,000 for the construction of the pitch, which would come out of Delta’s 2019 capital plan.
The report noted that a new shelter and washroom upgrades for Delview Park are already included in the 2019 capital plan, and staff are currently working on the designs. It also said the cricket players have asked to have a cricket batting cage at the field, though at that stage it remained only a possibility and not part of the immediate plan.
As well, the report said that staff have received comments that the enclosed off-leash are at Delview Park is too small, suggesting it might be better to relocate it to another area of the park and expand it.
According to Friday’s press release, $100,000 of the provincial funding is going towards a new picnic shelter and renovation of the pickleball courts, while the remaining $75,000 is being allocated towards the new cricket facilities.
The Reporter has reached out to the city to ask whether the additional funding means the cricket players will be getting the batting cage they asked for or if the off-leash area will now be moved and expanded. This story will be updated as more details become available.
More to come…
— with files from Saša Lakić
RELATED: North Delta slo-pitch players upset about having to make room for cricket at Delview Park
SEE ALSO: Lack of facilities in Surrey and Delta forces cricket league to look elsewhere
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