By Suhaib Yusuf

Play Ball!

Red Deer County council approves funding request for Innisfail ball diamond upgrades

Feb 23, 2022 | 9:49 AM

Red Deer County council is throwing its support behind some upgrades to an Innisfail baseball diamond.

On Feb. 22, council unanimously approved $50,000 towards upgrades at ball diamond #7.

The approval was granted following a request from the Town of Innisfail and Community Facility Enhancement Association (CFEA).

According to the CFEA, the total project costs are estimated at $582,600.

(Red Deer County)

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County officials say the ball field has a history of poor drainage often leaving the field unusable for most of the season.

With that in mind, the project is anticipated to offer huge improvements to aging facilities and enhance the overall service utilized for both county and lnnisfail residents. lnnisfail is said to be a hub for over 17,000 baseball enthusiasts including over 4,400 county residents. Of the registered participants, officials say up to 25 per cent of them are from Red Deer County.

The Town of Innisfail is contributing over $246,000 towards the project or 42 per cent of the total cost. The County’s financial contribution, meanwhile, would be applied towards project items identified as funded by the CFEA.

The CFEA had originally requested County support of over $145,000 or 25 per cent of the project’s costs, an amount that would have been 59 per cent of the Town of Innisfail’s contribution.

Councillor Philip Massier suggested that instead of funding $80,000 as recommended by County administration, that the County fund $50,000 instead. His reason being that $50,000 for a project such as this one is more than enough, adding the County could save some of its operating budget and disperse that funding to facilities in Red Deer also in need of upgrades and support.