Ag Society receives Field of Dreams grant from Toronto Blue Jays for baseball diamond upgrades

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore and District Agricultural Society has been awarded more than $100,000 from the Toronto Blue Jays’ Field of Dreams grant program to be used for upgrading their baseball diamonds.

Via a release, it was indicated the grant was awarded in recognition of the Ag Society’s commitment to the provision, operation, and maintenance of quality recreational fields to serve athletes, families and visitors. 

“Just over $100,000 to upgrade our ball diamonds is amazing and is something that will have a huge impact on improving our facilities. We are extremely grateful,” said Ag Society CEO Doug Raycroft. “This is something that we applied for and I don’t know how many places in Canada did apply, but there were a bunch of grants given out – 20 or something, to different communities around the country so we were lucky enough to be one of them.”

Through the Field of Dreams program, the Jays Care Foundation is distributing more than $2.6 million across Canada throughout the remainder of 2026. 

A total of 22 projects in seven provinces are receiving funding to build, enhance, or refurbish baseball diamonds in their respective communities. 

The investment into Strathmore’s facilities is described as being earmarked to help “enhance and improve” the Ag Grounds ball diamonds.

Among the improvements is improved drainage to Diamond 4 in order to improve its overall playability. Grays Ltd. will be completing this portion of the work, returning to the grounds after having renovated Diamond 1 two years ago.

Additional upgrades are described as including the installation of safety netting, updates to irrigation sprinkler heads, and the potential addition of new bleachers for spectators. 

“We are incredibly honoured to have been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Field of Dreams Grant,” said Danielle Paddock, projects and events manager for the Ag Society, via the release. “This investment will allow us to continue improving our facilities and ensure our ball diamonds remain a premier destination for local athletes, tournament organizers, and community events. We are excited to make improvements that will benefit players, spectators, and user groups for years to come.”

This program marks the largest investment in community infrastructure the Jays Care Foundation has ever made through the Field of Dreams grant program. 

“These upgraded diamonds will give kids a safe place where they can build character, resilience, and a sense of belonging through the game,” said Peter King, executive director of the Jays Care Foundation.

The program was initiated in 2000, with more than $24 million having been invested to date across 262 Field of Dreams projects. 

Communities were selected through a two-stage application and grading process which began in September last year.