The Jarvis Lions Community Ball Park is a 26 acre facility that houses two softball diamonds, one small practice diamond, tennis courts, playground equipment and green space. Although owned by Haldimand County and previously the City of Nanticoke, the facility has been operated by the Jarvis Lions Club in con-junction with the Jarvis Field Management Committee for a number of years under an Operating Lease Agreement. The facility has been in existence for 60 years and has not had any significant upgrades since 1970.
In early spring of 2008 Haldimand County staff was approached by the Jarvis Field Management Committee, in conjunction with the user groups to discuss a proposal for the Jarvis Lions Ball Park and to address the current conditions of the ball diamond facilities.
The Jarvis Lions Club, the Jarvis Field Management Committee, the Senior Men’s Fastball Team and other local park user groups, along with Haldimand County staff developed The Jarvis Lions Park Extreme Makeover Project that would address these issues. This project would include all fencing (foul lines and homerun), infield rebuild with red clay on both upper and lower diamonds, restoration of home plate and pitchers mound on the upper diamond, spectator seating repair, replacement of back stop-upper diamond, outfield top seeding for both diamonds, upgrades to the third diamond practice facility, inclusion of warning track for both major diamonds, batting cage replacement, maintenance equipment purchase and the replacement of lights on the upper diamond. The repairs identified are all repairs required in order to continue to offer the activities in a safe facility. This Extreme Makeover Project will bring the facility in line with the guidelines as well as other comparable parks for the calibre of play that the Jarvis Lions Ball Park has been providing for the past ten years. The expected cost of such a project was approximately $209,000.
