Editor: It has been proposed to invest $75,000, to start, to bring a new IBL baseball team to Chatham.
This in my opinion is only stripping more playground area from our youth. In the past, McKeough Park had a swimming pool and a winter skating rink. When these facilities needed repair, council voted to just remove them.
Years later, Turner Park beside the arena had a pool and playground. Again when repairs were needed, council voted to remove them and pave them over as a parking lot. Nothing was ever added to replace what was lost.
You are installing playground equipment for the youngest members of our city and pickle ball courts for the senior population, but our youth has no place to go and have a “sandlot ball game” or neighbourhood soccer game. All the parks that have ball diamonds are for “organized leagues” and are off limits to everyone else. The same with our arenas; figure skating and hockey leagues take precedence over the general public. The school yards are the same. Due to liability, you are not allowed to be there outside of school hours.
Fast forward to today’s times and what’s out there for the young people to do? Very little.
So why are we thinking of investing $75,000 in a new ball team and not into the future of our younger population?
Bruce Thompson
Chatham
