Play ball: Curve Lake First Nation recipient of 2024 Jays Care Foundation 'Field of Dreams' grant
Curve Lake First Nation has scored a homerun to help create recreational opportunities for youth with $400,000 in funding to renovate a baseball diamond in Curve Lake.
Chief Keith Knott of Curve Lake First Nation, which is located about 25 kilometres northeast of Peterborough, and federal indigenous services minister Patty Hajdu announced last Tuesday (April 30) that the Government of Canada and the Jays Care Foundation "Field Of Dreams" are investing in the Mary Dorothy Jacobs Memorial Park baseball diamond.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is funnelling $300,000 into the project and the Jays Care Foundation is providing $100,000, as Curve Lake is a recipient of the 2024 Jays Care Foundation Field Of Dreams grant. The Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, runs baseball for development programming for more than 59,000 children and youth annually across Canada.
Field Of Dreams is Jays Care's grant program that provides funding to design, refurbish, and build local baseball diamonds in communities across the country. Curve Lake First Nation is one of 14 communities across the country receiving a total of more than $1.5 million in 2024.
"This announcement is a dream come true for Curve Lake First Nation community," Knott said in a media release.
"We are continuously striving to enhance our community's infrastructure; this project represents our dedication and commitment to providing valuable program opportunities. Our entire community, especially our youth, stands to benefit greatly from this work."
In October 2023, Curve Lake First Nation and ISC engaged the Jays Care Foundation to explore funding opportunities for a baseball diamond renovation. With the funding now coming to fruition, Curve Lake said it's excited and eager to begin renovations on the baseball diamond and also plans to continue to develop youth baseball leagues.
The First Nation community said it's focused on creating opportunities for youth to get involved in sports and recreational activities in their own community. Limited access to local recreational facilities can be a barrier for kids and youth seeking to play sports, the media release noted.
Field Of Dreams diamonds are created with the intention to be safe and inclusive spaces where communities can connect, and kids can grow.
For Curve Lake First Nation, "baseball is more than a sport ... it's a part of their community foundation," Hajdu said.
"Through this announcement, our government and the Blue Jays are teaming up to revitalize something dear to the community — the Mary Dorothy Jacobs Memorial baseball diamond. This will benefit generations of First Nation children to come."
Curve Lake has a population of more than 3,000 members and non-members.
Knott said sports indeed "hold a special place in the hearts of the youth in Curve Lake. Our youngsters eagerly participate in the summer 'Jr. Jays' program, and each year, we host a tournament inviting neighbouring Nations to join. The revitalization of our ball diamond promises an exciting experience for all First Nation youth, offering them a safe and vibrant space to enjoy and engage in the beloved game of baseball."
The Jr. Jays is a membership program for children aged 14 and under. Parents and guardians can register their kids for one of two membership programs offering exclusive benefits, activities, experiences, discounts and prizes.
Meanwhile, the Jays Care Foundation offers an inter-generational baseball program, the Indigenous Rookie League, that promotes connection and belonging among Indigenous communities. The foundation works in partnership with First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities and urban Indigenous organizations across the country.
"We recognize that this territory is an unequal one, especially for children and youth identifying as Indigenous or living in Indigenous communities," the Jays Care Foundation stated on its website.
"That's why so much of the work we do focuses on responding to the calls to action around sport and youth programs as laid out in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report 2012. In order to answer these calls to action, we partner with Indigenous communities and organizations on an inclusive, trauma-sensitive, and evidence-based sport-for-development program," the foundation noted.
ISC strives to build relationships with charitable foundations, such as Jays Care Foundation, to develop opportunities to support First Nations communities' youth, culture, and recreation. It provided funding to support this project through the Community Development Wrap-Around Initiative (CDWAI).
In 2021–2022, ISC launched the CDWAI to support First Nations partners in building the capacities required to implement their community development priorities. It offers a wrap-around model to help leverage existing funding streams, develop trust-based partnerships, and address gaps in existing programs with new investments and flexible funding.
Currently, the CDWAI provides holistic wrap-around support to 22 participating First Nations communities across the country.
Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW
