A group of people that live next to the city’s only cricket field located in the North Ridge area are upset about a new addition of a sight screen. The 30 x 12 black mesh screen has been attached with ropes and zip ties to a 30 x 15 chain link structure for the safety of players on the field.
The residents in the area were told the screen would be taken down between each game but neighbour Susan Schneider feels that since it hasn’t been done, the Grande Prairie Cricket Association has been treated better than the people who live there.
“I am limited to where I can live because I am in wheelchair. I am home a lot. We live in a cul de sac. The houses are narrow in the front and wide in the back. We look out at the park. We see children playing and grass it’s wonderful but now we see a black billboard.”
President of the Cricket Association Vijay Parmar explains that they realized 2 hours and 6 people to put it up and take it down was too much. He adds that it does serve a purpose for the game and for safety.
“The cricket ball is a white colour. In cricket, you are allowed to throw the ball at people’s heads. It allows them to see the ball clearly. We would like to be cooperative as much as possible. We are not able to take it down right now but hopefully we can come up with a solution to that.”
The net will remain up for the remainder of the season which ends in three more weeks.
Community Living Director Gary Roth explains that they are working at helping get a mechanized system for the net to be taken up and down for next season.
“It’s a little more extensive than a rope and pully type of thing because it has to be resistent to weather.”
The cricket field has existed in this location since 2012 and recently, in collaboration with the city of Grande Prairie, the Grande Prairie Cricket Association received a grant to bring the cricket field up to standard which included the sight screening.