We seek your help convincing the City of Toronto not to demolish Diamond Beach and the Mini-Indy! The City has plans for 2023 to be our final year!

We’ve been here for over 20 years welcoming people from Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Scarborough, Milton, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and we need your help now, Ontario! In the same way we’ve welcomed people from everywhere, people from everywhere are welcomed to sign!

The City wants to demolish Diamond Beach - Toronto's last batting cages - and the Mini Indy - Canada's longest outdoor go-cart track - to build two new baseball diamonds and to relocate the two existing diamonds.

We want to show them we have been an integral part of Centennial Park and the community for over 20 years.

The City updated the Centennial Park Master Plan in 2021 and is implementing park improvements in a phased approach based on the priorities identified in the Master Plan and the available project budget. That means that this year it is, apparently, time to demolish Diamond Beach and the mini-Indy.

Based on the space needed for the diamonds and the planned space to be used, it is entirely possible to keep our beloved batting cages, newly revitalized clubhouse, beach volleyball, and mini-Indy! Not to mention that those two diamonds the want to reload are are already right next to us!

We bring tens of thousands of people from all over southern Ontario into Centennial Park every year. We are relied upon by many groups, teams, families, companies, and tourists as an activity center, training facility, and overall wonderful outdoor experience. We are an essential part of the community and the community deserves a say in how their park is used!

The clubhouse is the perfect meeting place and central location for the use of the baseball diamonds, includes a concession stand and has plenty of space to host tournaments.

Diamond Beach hosts multiple events and tournaments for various companies and leagues. Including:

• Correctional Services’ (comprised of all southern Ontario) annual volleyball tournament.
• Multiple youth baseball and softball teams, including Bloordale, Martingrove, and various teams in the CPSL.
• Businesses throughout the GTA use the Diamond Beach batting cages & volleyball and the Mini Indy go-karts for their corporate events.
• It is the home base for beach volleyball in the west end for: Go West Athletics
  Toronto Titans Volleyball
  Toronto West Volleyball
  and various other private coaching individuals and groups

 
We hear from countless customers daily, telling us:
”We’re happy you’re here - you’re the only batting cages anywhere near here!”  
“We travel so far to get here and it is so worth it!”
“Been coming here for years and now I bring my kids”

And on any given day there is a lineup out the door for the Mini-Indy!
 
If you are one of these amazing people, then please take a moment to make your voice heard!

Sign our petition, and let the City know that this place means something to you and you want us to stay!

Who to send emails to ask that this matter be added to the council agenda for September 6:

Local Ward 2 City Councillor Stephen Holyday
councillor_holyday@toronto.ca

Mayor Olivia Chow
mayor_chow@toronto.ca

Ward 3 City Councillor Amber Morley
councillor_morley@toronto.ca

Other Executive Council Members:

Paul Ainslie            councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca

Alejandra Bravo     councillor_bravo@toronto.ca

Shelley Carroll       councillor_carroll@toronto.ca      

Mike Colle              councillor_colle@toronto.ca           

Paula Fletcher       councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca     

Ausma Malik         councillor_malik@toronto.ca        

Josh Matlow          councillor_matlow@toronto.ca         

Jennifer McKelvie  councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca 

Gord Perks            councillor_perks@toronto.ca           

UPDATE: we’ve been in the news! Check out the links to the articles (new ones all the time!) here:

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-cash-starved-toronto-closing-profitable-go-kart-track-speeds-up-race-to-despair/wcm/1beebd98-788a-4633-a1dc-bc72b210473c/amp/

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/08/30/centennial-park-batting-cases-etobicoke-go-kart-track-ski-hill-diamond-beach/

https://theetobicokevoice.substack.com/p/from-passion-to-action-local-youths?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2023/07/09/why-some-local-ballplayers-are-crying-foul-over-centennial-parks-revamped-facilities.html

https://theetobicokevoice.substack.com/p/preserving-local-treasures-a-plea

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/07/02/final-lap-and-season-for-popular-go-kart-track-and-batting-cages-in-centennial-park.html?rf

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/centennial-park-etobicoke-go-cart-batting-cages-volleyball-1.6897189

https://beta.cp24.com/news/2023/7/6/1_6469454.html

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/centennial-parks-go-kart-track-batting-cages-to-be-gone-soon/wcm/50c5a5f3-bd39-433b-a8b5-08950b6fc144/amp/

https://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2023/07/toronto-lose-go-kart-track-canada-saved/