Political drama hides the real issue: cricket players are not getting what they need and residents are asked to put up with safety concerns

By Pepper Parr

June 14^th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

Politically, it was a disaster. All kinds of procedural by-law issues resulted in the Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns walking out of a Council meeting.

Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns

“Today, I excused myself from the June Committee of the Whole meeting following two agenda items affecting Ward 2 Residents being Closed for Debate.

“I asserted that I could not dispose of my obligation to represent the community on items related to Cricket at Central Park and Options to Restrict Construction  without the procedural opportunity to state my voting rationale and complete my questions. Since this pattern emerged, I silently exited the Council Chambers for the balance of Committee and will resume with my work on behalf of the constituents I serve at Council on June 23rd, 2026.”

Setting the political drama aside – there is a problem with sufficient space for people to play cricket.

Staff at Recreation, Community and Culture had to know that there was a major change taking place in the demographic makeup of the city.  More people want to play cricket. The games tend to last a long time, and at this point, there is just the one cricket pitch in the city.  A second is scheduled for Sherwood Forest in 2029 at a cost that runs into the millions.

None of this was new. Our question is – why didn’t staff put together what was known and develop a policy that would manage the demographic changes taking place?

Kearns had a meeting with the people living along the border of Central Park, where the game is played on April 25th. It was not an easy meeting for the Council member and staff didn’t leave with gold stars.

They had legitimate complaints and they made their view very clear. The last comment made at the difficult meeting came from a resident who said to Kearns: “This one is on you.

Did Staff stick it to the Council member deliberately?  No but staff didn’t have a plan in place that citizens could understand and accept.

Emilie Cote: Director Recreation, Community and Culture

Emilie Cote, Director Recreation, Community and Culture, is a young intelligent woman in a role that has had to handle a couple of awkward files.

The allocation of pool time should have been resolved within the department.  Instead, it was given to the Procurement people who get tied up in procedural problems that are part of large dollar contracts.  The pool use issue is nickels and dimes.

Cote has been given a lot of room to grow the department. The tin ear she has when it comes to the politics of situations is very evident.  She should have taken the pool issue to a higher level – the Chief Administration Officer should have been consulted.  That didn’t seem to happen.

There is space at City View Park that could accommodate a cricket pitch with next to nothing in residential areas anywhere near the site.

There was a very very short conversation with Cote at that xx meeting.  She had little to say other than that the Sherwood Forest location would come on stream in 2029.

The cricket community has every reason to be upset and the residents who have to put up with the noise and the cricket balls landing in their back yards

The new dedicated cricket pitch and associated park upgrades at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington are expected to be completed and ready for play by 2029. The total estimated budget for the park revitalization, which includes the cricket field with irrigation and lighting, is approximately $4.1 million.    The city is expected to tender the park renewal project in late 2026, with major construction planned between 2027 and 2028, leading up to the target 2029 opening.

The west side of Sherwood Forest Park (5270 Fairview St) was selected as the only municipal site in Burlington that has enough space to host a full-size, regulation cricket field.

Sherwood Forest Park in the East End of Burlington.

Related news story:

Ward 2 Councillor gets a rough ride.  Click HERE for the details