Toronto softball league invites minister to game at Little Norway Park amid Billy Bishop expansion concerns

A Toronto charity softball league is inviting Ontario’s Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria to play at one of their games at Little Norway Park as the province plans to take over part of Toronto’s waterfront to support a Billy Bishop expansion. 

The Downtown Softball League first launched in 2024, with the objective of uniting people and making a difference in the city by hosting games at Little Norway Park. 

Since its first season, the league established a partnership with the Daily Bread Food Bank, raising $13,000 to combat food insecurity in the city. The impact grew even more last year, as the league raised over $19,500, gathering 16 teams and over 150 more players. 

However, the league was caught by surprise this year, when the Ontario government revealed plans to expand the Billy Bishop airport. 

Last week, Sarkaria brought forward the Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, proposing that the province take over the City of Toronto’s role in a Tripartite Agreement over the airport’s property. If passed, the bill would give the government 20 per cent governance over the land, which includes one-third of the Little Norway Park. 

The announcement has caused uncertainty within the league, which usually hosts its games at the park. 

“There are no detailed plans available whatsoever.  We’ve tried to get in touch with PC MPPs, the Transportation Ministry, the Minister, etc… and have gotten ZERO details on how this might affect our league,” Noah Parker, a commissioner with the Downtown Softball League, wrote in an email to Now Toronto. 

“Will we be able to finish our summer season? Will we be kicked out in weeks? Anyone’s guess.  What is certain, is that without this diamond, our hundreds of local players, and tens of thousands of dollars in fundraising for the food bank, is gone.” 

According to Parker, the league has been trying to get more diamond space in the west-end of the city for years, but for now, they were still only able to secure Little Norway on Sunday afternoons. 

In light of the plans, the Downtown Softball League has decided to invite Sarkaria for a match at the park this weekend, so he can connect with the community members in the area, and “see first-hand what we’ll lose if Little Norway’s eastern third is paved over.”

If the minister accepts, he would debut at the league on May 3 at 3 p.m., right after the league’s usual spring training session for registered players, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Our player base is actively involved in advocating to keep our diamond intact.. so there is lots of interest to have the Minister join a team and show him the ropes,” Parker said.

“The biggest benefit of beer league softball is its incredibly new-player friendly. So, the Minister shouldn’t have any problems fielding some ground balls!”

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City Councillor Josh Matlow, who has joined one of the league’s games before, has also echoed the invite, encouraging Sarkaria to attend.

In an email to Now Toronto, the councillor called out the Ford government for having a “harmful pattern of paving and privatizing valuable greenspace,” citing other controversial development projects, including the Greenbelt and Ontario Place. 

He also said he hopes visiting the park will help the minister understand how it contributes to the community. 

“The Ford government may look at our waterfront and see parks as empty spaces waiting to be built on or paved into parking lots. But if Minister Sarkaria comes to Little Norway Park on Sunday to join in our Downtown Softball League game, my hope is that he will quickly realize that there is already something very valuable there – community,” Matlow wrote. 

It is still unclear whether the minister will in fact attend the game.