The borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG) is proud to announce that as of August 24, cricket enthusiasts will be able to use the new cricket field located in Parc Van Horne to practice this emerging sport.
New cricket field costs CDN-NDG $65k
Council arranged for an appropriate space to be found for a cricket field further to requests from CDN-NDG cricket teams. Parc Van Horne turned out to be the perfect place for this facility, which received a $65,000 investment from the municipality.
Montreal Cricket Players have been dreaming of a new Cricket field
“Many cricket players in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce have been dreaming for a long time of having a cricket field where they can practice their sport. I’m very happy that Parc Van Horne is now able to host cricket teams. Regularly playing a sport promotes health and wellbeing in the community and helps break down social isolation. In addition, this will give people a chance to learn more about cricket, a sport that’s gaining in popularity,” says Sue Montgomery, Mayor of the borough.
Cricket lovers can now play on a safe, high-quality surface specially designed for their sport. For this brief first season, the field is open to all without reservation. To reserve times for games for next year, teams should contact the Association des sports de balle de Montreal, the organization mandated by the Ville de Montreal to manage ball fields.
“Cricket, a sport that a lot of people are unfamiliar with, is becoming more and more popular among athletes. The players are mostly from India, but others come from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and other places. We hope that people of all ages and origins will get involved in cricket over the next few years,” says Raveendirarajah Nagarajah of the Vaanavil Cricket Club.
Cricket arose in England and has since become popular in many Commonwealth countries. It seems to have been played in Montreal as far back as 1785, at Île Sainte-Helène, after being introduced to Canada by British soldiers.
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