Most evenings, adults can be found staging pickup games at the local softball diamond on the north end of the Plateau’s Jeanne Mance park.
In fact, dozens of teams make use of the space and congregate to play the sport that's synonymous with hot summer nights.
Now, those same teams are worried that their sporting sanctuary could soon be lost, as impending construction on adjoining tennis courts threatens the space.
The city of Montreal is planning to resurface some adjacent tennis courts and the plan right now is to use the softball diamond as worksite.
The area surrounding the courts is restrictive—there isn’t a lot of room to navigate with imposing equipment, let alone find available parking spaces.
As a solution, contractors have proposed using the softball field as a sort of storage area for their vehicles and equipment. Consequently, the softball diamond would be put out of use for an undetermined amount of time.
Local diehards are worried that if the diamond goes, it’s unlikely that it will return.
“The plans that we received from the city website show that all of the bleachers, backstop, and fences are supposed to be removed,” explained Marisa Berry Mendez, a regular softball player. “We don’t have a confirmation, but we don’t have any communication or transparency about what the plans are."
The standing barriers at the park are not regulation sized-- in fact they are considered "child size" by contracting standards.
Having to re-install full sized fences in their place could be problematic, as they stand to obstruct scenic views of Mont Royal.
The need for accessible softball and baseball fields is a nagging one for local enthusiasts – there are only about ten of these fields left in and around Montreal.
Officials say that the contract for the construction will be awarded sometime in mid-May.
Neither the mayor, nor the executive committee member in charge of parks and recreation were reached for comment.
However, the concerned players have appealed to Projet Montreal’s Alex Norris, who will lobby on their behalf and, more generally, for the future of the parks.
