Cricket is a global phenomenon. In Canada, it is a second-class sport (most Canadians will look at this picture and wonder why the umpire is swinging a fat baseball bat). But cricketers still dream of a stadium in Canada’s big city, the Toronto Star reports. A plan exists, though it doesn’t look overly likely that it’ll become reality.
Cricket is a global phenomenon. In Canada, it is a second-class sport (most Canadians will look at this picture and wonder why the umpire is swinging a fat baseball bat). But cricketers still dream of a stadium in Canada’s big city, the Toronto Star reports. A plan exists, though it doesn’t look overly likely that it’ll become reality.
Cricket Canada has proposed a 10,000 seat venue on one of the islands off the city of Toronto, just South of the Billy Bishop airport. Officialdom has already made its first lukewarm pronouncement: “I’m not ruling it out, but this is not the ideal location,” said Ann Ulusoy from the city’s parks, forestry and recreation division.
So what’s standing in the way of cricket’s manifest destiny? About 70 per cent of Cricket Canada’s 50,000 members reside in the GTA. Boosters cry: The stadium could host international events too! It could become the seat of power of Canada’s fledgling cricket empire.
However, among other things, it appears the ferry service to get to the island would be rather inadequate. The city also worries about the proposed site’s proximity to the airport and the allocation of public parkland for exclusive cricket use.
Keep on dreaming, cricketers, and don’t stop trying. Multiculturalism clearly can’t succeed in Canada unless cricket gets its due.