A proposal to build a cricket pitch at Barrhaven’s Beryl Gaffney Park is sparking debate among residents who say the popular greenspace should remain in its current state.
The City of Ottawa is considering installing a cricket pitch at the park as part of a broader effort to expand facilities for the rapidly growing sport. But some community members worry the change could alter the character of a park they say has long been valued for its natural setting and open space.
Former Gloucester-South Nepean city councillor Carol Anne Meehan says the park was always intended to be a natural area focused on trails and passive recreation.
Meehan said during her time on council she worked with the city to make small improvements that helped people access the park while maintaining its natural character. That included convincing the city to plow the parking lot in winter so people could continue using the trails.
“I convinced the city to get that parking lot plowed out so that people could park in there and use the trails,” she said.
She also pushed to have the tall grass in the field near the parking area cut back so people with mobility challenges and dog owners could use the open space.
“The field in front of the parking lot was just crazy. It was all grass overgrown,” Meehan said. “I convinced the city to have that cut down because a lot of people who use… who have their dogs weren’t able to use the paths.”
Meehan says the park has faced development proposals before, including ideas to add an amphitheatre, playground structures and other built features. Each time, she says, residents pushed back.
Beryl Gaffney Park at 3901 Rideau Valley Dr. is between Barrhaven and Manotick. Photo by the Ottawa Lookout
Over the years, she said, the community repeatedly made it clear they wanted the park to remain largely untouched.
Because of those past debates, Meehan said she was surprised when the cricket pitch proposal appeared.
“I thought that maybe the city would recognize that the area is already heavily used, people don’t want it to change, and would back off,” she said.
“So I’m quite surprised when this plan suddenly appeared without any public consultation.”
Barrhaven resident Debbie Prescott has launched a petition opposing the proposed pitch, saying many residents only learned about the plan recently. In eight days, it has grown to over 800 signatures.
“It’s not just a dog park. It’s a park with unleashed dog access, and it’s heavily used by people from all over the city,” she told the Ottawa Lookout. “Families see how beautiful it is, and they’re just blown away by how gorgeous the whole place is.”
She also raised concerns about the potential impacts of a sports facility in the middle of a heavily used greenspace, including parking pressure and long games that could draw large crowds.
Current plans suggest building 22 parking spaces, but Prescott worries that won’t be enough when you account for spectators.
“Cricket, when it’s played, lasts several hours,” Prescott said.“If you talk to the people in Stonebridge, there’s a cricket pitch there. It invites a lot of people — not just the players. It’s the players’ families and the wider community that come.”
“There’s overflow parking on the weekends already,” she said.
“So you bring this cricket community in, and it’s going to be craziness, absolute craziness.”
Beryl Gaffney Park at 3901 Rideau Valley Dr. contains an off-leash dog park. Photo by the Ottawa Lookout
A growing sport
Cricket is one of the world’s most widely played sports and has deep historical roots in Canada. In fact, during the 1800s, it was considered the country’s national sport before lacrosse was officially recognized.
Today, the sport is experiencing renewed growth, particularly in large and diverse cities.
Rideau Jock Coun. David Brown says the city has received hundreds of requests to expand cricket facilities.
Brown said providing dedicated facilities could help reduce conflicts where players currently use other sports fields.
“Right now they’re playing in green spaces and parks. They’re playing on soccer fields. They’re playing on football fields and in ball diamonds, which obviously adds some conflict issues with existing park users,” he said.
“That is why I think it’s a good idea for the City of Ottawa to identify several locations across the city to facilitate this particular sport.”
Brown emphasized the project is still in the consultation stage, but he noted it would take up only about three per cent of the park space. Critics pointed out that while this is true, it’s almost the entire mowed field where people regularly play with their dogs.
“Once we have that feedback… the planner assigned to the file will compile the information and come back to Coun. Hill and myself for a discussion on what the city has heard,” he said.
“Then we’ll see if there are things that we can do to improve the proposal.”
Brown said the proposal would improve the existing grassy field rather than remove greenspace.
“What we’re doing is ensuring that the existing grass field is maintained to a higher standard so it can be used by a particular user group when that user group is there,” he said.
Prescott hopes the city will reconsider the location.
“Go back to the drawing board,” she said. “Don’t pit communities against each other. We have to leave some kind of nature for generations to come. We can’t use up all the green space.”
Mayor Sutcliffe will be making a certified-related announcement at 3:00 p.m. today. The Lookout has learned it will include a broader strategy to build multiple cricket pitches in various parts of the city.
