The City of North Bay has whittled down its options for its planned construction of a new cricket pitch and says it is working to make the project come to fruition in 2026 "contingent on funding achievable through available grant opportunities."
Three recommended sites at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex will be presented to the North Bay City Council during its Tuesday, Sept. 17 regular meeting. If approved, one of those three sites will host the pitch but that decision will come later. The other two locations considered in the site search include one on the grounds of the former psychiatric hospital on Highway 11 north of the city and two sites at the base of College Drive near the Canadore student residences.
See: City of North Bay's full cricket pitch site selection scan
The recommendation to the council is to approve the location for the planned regulation-size cricket pitch; to direct staff to initiate preliminary site work including environmental and geotechnical and complete an operations analysis to identify the ideal construction site at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex; and, to direct staff to complete Class C and D cost estimates for consideration during the 2025 capital budget deliberations.
The shifting demographics in North Bay have led to the arrival of hundreds of cricketers — many from South Asia — with few places to play a sport that is contested in many countries around the world. It is estimated by Cricket Canada the number of players in Canada could reach half a million by the mid-2030s, according to immigration patterns, attaining the status of Canada's fastest-growing sport. According to the U.S. National Institute of Health, approximately 2.5 billion people of all ages and abilities participate. Cricket is played by five million people in India, 1.4 million in Australia, and 300,000 in the U.K. Cricket is also the most popular spectator sport in India.
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A report from Ian Kilgour, director of community services the next steps include a detailed investigation of each of the three potential Omischl sites, including a detailed topographic survey, geotechnical testing and analysis, environmental approvals, and design.
The report also lists the benefits of proceeding at the sports complex at the south end of Lakeshore Drive. It is adjacent to six existing outdoor sports fields, facilitating operational efficiencies, maintenance and supervision among them. Regularly scheduled public transit is available. Capital costs will be minimized as the sites are adjacent to existing infrastructure, such as sewer, water, washrooms, parking, irrigation, and lighting. There are multi-use synergies with the planned Community and Recreation Centre (i.e. provisions for indoor tournament administration space, and other tournament amenities). And, there are expected economic impacts on West Ferris commercial establishments, restaurants, gas stations, and motels/hotels.
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The design and construction costs of the new cricket pitch were included in the 2024 capital budget with an overall estimated project cost of $2,510,000. The construction phase of the project is planned for 2026. The City says it is exploring all funding opportunities and identified the provincial Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) as a potential match for funding. CSRIF Stream 2 offers funds for a transformative project addressing a recreation programming gap. "The project has the potential to have significant economic spin offs through increased sports tourism and could attract additional investment as it will broaden the types of offerings of the City’s recreation facilities," per the report.
During budget deliberations earlier this year, a forecast found in the soon-to-be-approved 2024 capital budget included a line for $140,000 for cricket facility design fees this year with another $2.37 million estimated for construction in 2026.
City staff have been working with local cricket enthusiasts to determine if an existing location could be used or even redeveloped as a new cricket location but the playing surface needed is vast. According to this guide, cricket grounds have an overall diameter ranging from 137–152 metres (450–500 feet) with a total area of up to 18,000 m² or nearly 200,000 ft². The rectangular cricket pitch itself is located at the centre of the grounds and is surrounded by an oval infield with a radius of 27.4 m (90') from the centre of each wicket.
"The City of North Bay does not currently have a dedicated regulation-sized cricket facility. Currently, cricket is played where a field can be temporarily used for this purpose with a softer non-regulation ball that does not fly as far on the smaller field," writes Kilgour. "North Bay Cricket Club members have advised that the lack of regulation-sized field prevents the Club from hosting regulation tournaments. The Club has advised that there will be better opportunities to hold tournaments in," North Bay with a regulation pitch.
Over the past decade, cricketers have been playing at locations with confined areas, such as Amelia Park in North Bay or adjacent to the community centre in Callander. If construction begins in 2026, the facility is expected to be completed by that fall.
In late February, Councillors Sara Inch and Jamie Lowery made a joint submission declaring their support of building a cricket field — in response to a letter criticizing the idea.
In their letter, Inch and Lowery wrote, "Encouraging participation in cricket and other sports is a celebration of our community's diversity and a step towards building a more inclusive society where everyone can find a sense of belonging. It's about recognizing and valuing the contributions of all community members, celebrating our differences, and finding common ground in activities that bring joy, health, and unity.
"Let's not limit our understanding of community and culture to the sports we've traditionally known. Instead, let's embrace the new and diverse contributions that enrich our collective identity. Supporting cricket is not just about supporting a sport, it's about supporting our community's diverse and dynamic future."
