Canmore’s mixed slo-pitch league has made it through its 2014 season, but not without a few foul balls to deal with.
The league plays at the Elk Run ball diamonds and this year issues with neighbours along one of the diamonds have reached a tipping point.
In fact, the municipality stopped league play on the diamond at the beginning of the season until netting could be installed mid-July as a result of complaints from residents concerned that balls were being hit into their backyards.
League co-chairs Brenda Morrison and Jeff Wagner said they had to change the entire season for the league, which has 28 teams and over 350 players, as a result.
“(The Town) didn’t really have an alternative plan or think it through,” Wagner said regarding alternative ball diamonds for teams to play on.
He said the diamond at Millennium Park is not designed for slo-pitch and league players were being injured. The Lion’s Park option, added Morrison, has nearby houses and a children’s playground, making it unsuitable.
“We have done nothing but bend over backwards for the Town and residents to have our league run,” she said.
But even with the netting in place and league play resumed at Elk Run, the municipality received another complaint from an adjacent neighbour to the park, resulting in the RCMP being brought in.
According to a staff report to council earlier this month, a number of players have chosen to stay and drink alcohol after their games and engage in contests to see how many balls they can hit over the nets installed this summer at the Elk Run baseball diamonds.
“The action is completely unacceptable and Recreation Services is working with the activity coordinators and RCMP to eliminate this hooliganism and curb the consumption,” the report stated.
Manager of Municipal Services Lorrie O’Brien said the municipality is working with RCMP to address the behaviour and illegal consumption of alcohol.
“We are working with RCMP to speak to those individuals and if it continues they will not be allowed to use the facility,” she said.
Canmore RCMP Sgt. Ryan Currie said members regularly patrol sports fields in Canmore, including the disc golf course and ball diamonds. While no tickets have been issued lately, he said officers will enforce liquor regulations when needed.
“Anywhere in town that is not licenced, any place that is a public area, it is illegal to consume liquor unless it is designated and a permit applied for and received from the town,” Currie said.
Morrison and Wagner said the league does not tolerate such behaviour and teams have been informed anybody engaging in such behaviour would be suspended.
However, they pointed out that the diamonds are open to the public and many people use them. If someone was purposely hitting balls over the net, they added, it was outside of league play.
“No one (in the league) is trying to go out there to damage people’s property, it is a matter of play and some hitting better than others,” Morrison said.
She also said over time the bats used in the sport have improved, resulting in people hitting balls farther.
With the season now over, Wagner and Morrison said the league has instituted changes to league play they hope will further address neighbouring residents’ concerns.
Teams in the A division, which hit farther, will not play on the diamond closest to the houses, Morrison said, and they have ordered flight restricted balls to play with. Teams have also been asked not to practice on that particular diamond.
Wagner said the league is making every effort to adapt to the situation and address neighbours concerns.
“We understand they are there,” Wagner said. “The league is not there to damage property and hurt anybody. We are there to be active and have fun playing baseball.”
