BATTLEFORD - There will be a new attraction to see at the Battleford Flats now that plans are in place to build a new announcer's booth.
The topic was discussed at this week's town council meeting.
Battlefords Minor Softball will build the structure so there will be no cost to the town. Since the town owns the property, it needed to give its approval for Battlefords Minor Softball to undertake the project. Minor Softball hope to complete the booth by the end of the summer. The town and Battlefords Minor Softball will both look after maintaining it, after it's built.
The booth will be built at the Marilyn O'Driscoll Field, located on Diamond 2 at the Battleford Flats. The structure will be 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 16 feet high. Battlefords Minor Softball have requested exclusive use of the bottom of the booth for storage and to advertise sponsors on the outside. The top portion will be available for use by other organizations and teams upon request to the town.
"I think this whole project is very exciting," Mayor Ames Leslie said. "For years, baseball has had the Beaver Lions Stadium in North Battleford, which is considered a premier place to play the game of baseball. Softball has never really had that. Then, the evolution here of the new Marilyn O'Driscoll Field, and a scoreboard, and now the announcer's booth to make this a premier tournament championship diamond is exciting."
He said the board, committee and volunteers continue to do a great job for the community.
"The town is willing to help but they've been doing this all on their own," Leslie said. "We're grateful anytime residents and groups want to do their part to beautify our community."
Leslie said Battlefords Minor Softball wants to make it a "championship diamond facility."
"It's just to add another level of prestige to the games that are already happening," he said. "We have some of the best teams in this province and some of the best youth athletes in the game of softball. It just gives them another stadium to play in, to add that extra level, and maybe attract more players to come here and play for the teams as well."
Coun. David George was excited about the project.
"It will be appeasing to all the people down there that have wanted something like that for a lot of years," he said. "I congratulate everyone involved that they are doing it."
Coun. Alexis Christensen was also thrilled to hear about the initiative.
"Hats off to the organizers, the coaches, and people that have the passion to be able to do things like this. It wouldn't happen otherwise."
