The Turner Park ball field in Peachland.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/District of Peachland
April 30, 2023 - 3:30 PM
The quality of baseball in Peachland is about to improve thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The District of Peachland entered its Turner Park ball field into the Jays’ Field of Dreams grant program, and this morning, April 30, it was named as one of 15 winners across Canada.
Locals who gathered at the Peachland Community Centre on the morning of the announcement were “very jubilant” to learn that they’d won, Mayor Patrick Van Minsel said.
The selected communities will divvy up $1.5 million to fund baseball infrastructure. Van Minsel said Peachland will receive about $50,000 from the grant.
Before the grant was won by Peachland, the District already committed $50,000 to upgrade Turner Park.
“Construction started last week, so we are now doing irrigation,” Van Minsel said. “Then we are putting up soil, and potentially starting on baseball field and soccer field up there.”
Next year an assembly area will be built, and the following year there will be a new playground, he added.
The grant was applied for through the District after a local resident mentioned it, Van Minsel said.
“Field Of Dreams is Jays Care's granting program for infrastructure dedicated to youth life-skill development and physical activity,” according to the program overview. “The Field Of Dreams program provides funding to design, refurbish and build safe spaces for children and youth to play baseball, develop life skills and learn from positive role models.”
— This story updated at 4:06 p.m. Monday, May 1, 2023, with comments from Mayor Patrick Van Minsel.
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