The fight to save a beloved softball diamond in Jeanne-Mance Park continued on Monday as ball players rallied against borough plans to destroy the field.
The players said they want to let borough officials know that tearing down the field is the wrong decision. Last week the borough told players of their plans and said the diamond wasn’t safe, despite Plateau Mayor Luc Ferrandez having previously committed to reopening the field after maintenance on nearby tennis courts was complete.
The city cited a ballistics report that said passerby could be at risk of being hit by a softball near the park's north field. During a borough council meeting on Monday, Ferrandez said that while one person has already been hit in the head by an errant ball, the city could be blamed if it happens again. He also ruled out putting up fencing to stop four balls, saying it would be too ugly in a heritage park at the foot of Mount-Royal.
Despite the rain, nearly 50 softball players braved the rain to show up at the borough city hall to express their disappointment.
While the borough has promised to give the players access to the smaller south field in the same park when softball season rolls in next year, the players said the two facilities aren't even in the same ballpark.
“It’s heartbreaking to see it go,” said Andy Bulman-Fleming. “We’re not interested in why it happened or going backwards or recriminations; we just want our field as had been promised and as is perfectly reasonable. For 50 years, it’s been a cultural tradition.”
