Pantalone is flanked by local cricketers as he makes the announcement in West Toronto. (Pictures by The Sri Lanka Reporter)
The race for Toronto’s top job has moved to the middle of the cricket pitch with Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone promising to build a major cricket stadium if he is elected mayor in the next municipal election.
He told The Sri Lanka Reporter, the cricket stadium will follow the same model as BMO Field located near the city’s core and will be built within four years of the election.
Pantalone with Mohammed R. Shaikh, President of Toronto and District Cricket Association, Leslie Soobiriyan, President of Canadian Commenwealth Cricket Association and Prain Presaud President of BEDCL (EDCC and BCA).
Since meeting with cricket players and representatives of the Toronto and District Cricket Association, the Canadian Commonwealth Cricket Association of Toronto, and the GTA Cricket Council, and celebrating with community members at the Mayor’s Cricket Tournament in June he was convinced that Toronto’s sports infrastructure must change and grow to match it’s changing, growing sports community, according to his campaign press secretary.
“Cricket is well-loved across the globe,” said Mr. Pantalone, “and so it is also cherished by many of Toronto’s vibrant communities. Yet the city’s infrastructure offers no facilities equal to the city’s love of the game. Under Mayor Joe Pantalone, that will change.”
Pantalone announced his vision of doing for cricket what he has already done for soccer with BMO Field. The Deputy Mayor says he will take the lead in bringing together all levels of government, community, and the private sector to create a world-class cricket pitch and related facilities.
“It’s a proven approach,” says Pantalone. “As Chair of Exhibition Place, I used government resources to gather private investment for public gain. As Mayor I will do the same again, with economic and cultural benefit to the city, and a quality-of-life benefit for everyone.”
