Dartmouth family urges Halifax council not to erase their legacy ball field

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Bob Merrick is fighting to keep his father’s legacy alive.

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Halifax staff chose the Arthur H. Merrick Memorial Ball Field on the Dartmouth Commons to convert into a much-needed cricket pitch.

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“The Merrick family, countless Dartmouth residents, and the many children who continue to play baseball here are stunned that this field, a cornerstone of our community, is even being considered for removal,” he wrote in a letter to Halifax regional council that was posted on Facebook.

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“My father, Arthur Merrick, did not merely participate in local baseball — he built it.”

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Merrick said Wednesday that he’s looking for a solution that suits both sports.

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A petition with over 3,000 names is backing the Merrick family — the supporters in favour of keeping the legacy, but also arguing that getting field time for baseball is challenging, as well.

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“As someone who grew up playing ball on that field, and someone who now has a daughter on a softball team struggling to find fields, I don’t think this is a logical time to be considering taking infrastructure such as this away,” Melanie, a mom in Dartmouth, wrote on the petition.

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After consultation and a selection process, Halifax staff picked that field to convert because of its size and proximity to transit. They included a long lead time — 2028 — to make the switch.

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But Sam Austin, the councillor for that area, brought up the issue at a council meeting Tuesday, asking staff for another report.

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Austin said it should be a good-news story because the municipality was gifted $1 million from the province to support cricket field development, and there’s a real need.

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“It’s run head-on into resistance from the baseball world, who have concerns of their own field usage because this would be repurposing.”

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Social media takes debate into ‘a nasty place’

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Both baseball and cricket groups have voiced concerns about the availability of fields to play their sports.

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Austin said he’s hearing conflicting information about demand for the field, and it needs further investigation. He added that staff should also look into sharing the space.

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Green Road Park, which is currently a designated encampment, should also be explored since HRM plans to close all designated sites, Austin suggested.

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And while most complaints about this move have been respectful, some on social media have taken this “into a nasty place” with racist comments, Austin said.

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“All I would say to that is there is a demand for cricket in our community because people who are part of our community, no matter where they are from, want to play cricket, so as a municipality, this is our business to try to satisfy those different needs out there.”

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