Possible loss of ball diamond at Ted Reeve field for Metrolinx construction has East Toronto Baseball league worried

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

Provincial transit agency Metrolinx has yet to decide whether their planned expansion of the Danforth GO Station will impact the East Toronto Athletic Field’s beloved baseball diamonds, where dozens of community members and leagues gather to play games during the summer months.

“There has been no decision regarding the baseball diamond. We continue to work closely with the City of Toronto and our project teams to minimize impacts to the baseball diamond and trees wherever possible,” said Metrolinx’s media relations team in a statement to Beach Metro Community News.

However, in a separate statement, local resident and President of East Toronto Baseball David Breech claims that Metrolinx has already made undisclosed plans to cut down some of the park’s trees and temporarily shut down the baseball diamond in the northeast corner of the park while they carry out expansion work at Danforth GO Station, which is located south of Danforth Avenue and just east of Main Street. There are a total of three baseball diamonds in the park.

“The only information I received was from a member of city staff. It just said that all permits were cancelled effective September 1, and that Metrolinx would be taking the northeast diamond for the 2027 season. And that was the extent of it,” said David Breech, president of the East Toronto Baseball Association in an interview with Beach Metro News.

Each year from May 1 until Sept. 1, the East Toronto Baseball Association establishes permits with the city to host games at the park’s baseball diamonds months in advance.

But without any definitive confirmation about the extent of Danforth GO Station work, Breech said the lack of information has hindered the East Toronto Baseball Association’s ability to determine where their games will be played next season.

“All we’re really asking from Metrolinx is a little communication so that we can plan ahead,” said Breech. “The Toronto District School Board has already asked us to book our permits for next year, and the city will ask us within the next four weeks to book our permits for next year.”

Without the use of the nearby diamond at Blantyre Park in southwest Scarborough due to a separate construction project to revitalize the pool and park space, Breech said the association is running out of suitable options to host their games next season.

“Losing the diamond means that you would have to relocate about 120 uses of that facility. We were using Blantyre Park as well, and it was taken away this year, and we’re not sure if they’re going to let us use it next year,” said Breech.

With some of the diamonds not suitable for some of the older-aged house league divisions, Breech said he’s currently in discussion with the city’s parks department to advocate for diamond expansion at the sites they can still use in the foreseeable future.

“We’ve got Stephenson Park five days a week, and we’re also trying to work with the parks people to enlarge that diamond so that we can use it for peewee,” said Breech. “There’s a lot of moving parts in this whole exercise.”

Despite not having met with Metrolinx or the city’s parks department in several years, Breech said the last consultation to discuss the project noted that work would be carried out “up the west side of the park at the base of the hill on Main Street.”

“Which made sense because there are steps from Main Street down to the park level,” explained Breech. “They were going to put a path up on the west side, because people go that way anyway and there’s a dirt path, which they’ve cut a hole in to get to the GO station.”

As part of the planned work for station expansion, Metrolinx said Danforth GO will receive a long list of infrastructural improvements, including a new south platform with canopies, conversion of the existing south platform into a centre island platform, a new below-grade entrance, and an extended pedestrian tunnel.

Work to improve the station comes as part of Metrolinx’s expansion of the Lakeshore East Line GO Line, which extends from Union Station in Toronto to Oshawa GO in Durham Region. The line runs through East Toronto at several major intersections between Danforth Avenue and Gerrard Street East.

“Metrolinx is delivering improvements at Danforth GO Station to support more frequent GO service on the Lakeshore East and Stouffville lines,” Metrolinx said in their statement.

Back in late August, Metrolinx shut down all elevators at Danforth GO station for three months while they carry out “major repairs and upgrades,” sparking backlash from commuters who use the station on their daily commute.

With commuter numbers reaching an all-time-high at the Main Street transit hub, recent months have also seen residents push for a pedestrian connection running from Stephenson Avenue to the Danforth GO Station’s north platform, as well as expanded parking lot space for pick up and drop offs.

In June of this year, Toronto City Council passed a motion to implement a feasibility study, to be completed by mid to late 2027, which will determine the logistics of the pedestrian walkway. The outcome of the study will help Toronto and East York Community Council determine the next steps to enable construction of the connection.

Metrolinx’s media relations team told Beach Metro Community News that a definitive start date for the Danforth GO Station project has yet to be established, and that more information will be shared with residents at a later date.

“We don’t have a definitive start date yet as we are still in discussions with the city on the extent to which the park, including baseball diamond, will be impacted,” said Metrolinx’s media team. “Once we have more information to share we will, but nothing further at this point in time.”

But without any definitive answers, Breech said he’s planning for “the worst-case scenario” ahead of Metrolinx’s official announcement for the project.

“They may not have an exact plan, but they’ve got to have a vision. So, share us the vision and we’ll work for the worst-case scenario. That’s the way I like to plan, and that way if it doesn’t happen, then you’re in good shape,” said Breech.

For more information about the Lakeshore East Line GO Expansion, head to https://www.metrolinx.com/en/projects-and-programs/lakeshore-east-line-go-expansion.