Pair of City Councillors join Mayor Patrick Brown in support of proposed cricket stadium in Brampton

While a recent poll suggested many Brampton residents may not be interested in a new cricket stadium, Mayor Patrick Brown continues to advocate for the proposed venue, which would be located at the CAA Centre.

“I will continue to advocate for cricket investments,” Brown said during a press conference on Wednesday (October 28). “I believe that there is an incredible level of support for cricket in our city, and we want to build modern infrastructure.”

On Thursday, Gurpreet Dhillon, Regional Councillor for Wards 9 and 10, voiced his support for the proposed stadium.

“I look forward to discussing the proposed cricket stadium at our upcoming budget committee meetings,” Dhillon posted on social media. “I’ve always been a very strong supporter of cricket, and I am very excited at the opportunity to see our city’s talent play at international levels.”

Also on Thursday, Harkirat Singh, Regional Councillor for Wards 9 and 10 also expressed support for the proposed stadium.

“Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Brampton, a stadium will take the sport to the next level,” he posted on social media. “I look forward to our discussions around a stadium at budget and making sure that one of the multi-use capabilities is for Kabaddi as well.”

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However, while Brown and Dhillon would like to see the proposed stadium become a reality, not all members of City Council are necessarily in favour.

Jeff Bowman, Regional Councillor for Wards 3 and 4 has expressed concerns with the cost of the stadium, specifically whether the City has enough money available to fund such a project, and whether the estimated price tag of $35.5 million is accurate.

Additionally, during a council meeting earlier this month, Michael Palleschi, Regional Councillor for Wards 2 and 6 expressed concerns regarding the use of the stadium—specifically whether it would be equally accessible for men and women, concerns Charmain Williams, Regional Councillor for Wards 7 and 8 shared.

Further, Martin Medeiros expressed concern for the location, and whether a stadium of such size (the proposal is for a 5,000-seat stadium that can be expanded to seat up to 25,000) would be accessible if located at the CAA Centre grounds.

Brown believes the stadium, which could be used for international competitions, would provide a boost to Brampton’s economy through tourism. “I think there’s a real opportunity for economic tourism in cricket as well,” he said. “The Pakistan vs India match this past Sunday had 1 billion people watching from around the world.”

Brown added that he would like to see future cricket events come to Brampton, including the GT20 tournament, and the Commonwealth Games.

“I think with the mosaic of cultures we have in our country that come from areas that have a passion for cricket, from the Caribbean, to the U.K., to Pakistan, to India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, we have a wealth of cricket talent in Canada, and I think one day we’re going to be competing with the biggest cricket countries in the world in those international competitions,” he said.