The final results are in. Vince took top spot. No surprise there.

Julie managed to take second. In the case of tie breakers, we look at head-to-head first, then plus-minus. William and Julie ended up with the same number of points. They didn’t play, so there was no head-to-head. But Julie’s plus-minus was four points better.

This was a lot of fun. There’s no game like singles. There is literally nowhere to hide.

Everyone’s bowling improved as the season wore on.

Members of the board of directors of Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club met a second time with Councillor Lily Cheng on July 6 to talk about the condition of the club and its future as an important component of recreational infrastructure.

During a spirited discussion, the point was made that, like any recreational infrastructure in Toronto today, Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club faces two challenges.

The first is what’s being called an “infrastructure deficit.” Much of the City of Toronto's aging infrastructure (not just recreational infrastructure) is showing its age, to the point that some estimates suggest that approximately $10 billion is needed to bring the city’s aging infrastructure up to a state of good repair.

That creates significant competition for a finite pool of capital.

The second is that any investment in recreational infrastructure will go first to multi-use facilities—i.e. those facilities that can support multiple uses for different forms of recreation—before being allocated to single-use facilities.

One of the ideas floated during the meeting is turning the north green into pickleball courts. We would still maintain lawn bowling on the centre green and the artificial surface, but we would become a multi-use facility.

“We have to be flexible in our thinking,” says Suzan Tari, vice-president of Willowdale LBC. “The pickleball option could provide us with long-term stability. With that, we can focus on growing the sport of lawn bowling in Willowdale and potentially across Toronto.”

Hurdles to overcome

Even if an option like pickleball is available, there are many hurdles to overcome before the long-term future of the club is secured.

One of the most important is the lease under which the property currently operates. There are sixty years left in the ninety-nine-year lease between the City of Toronto and Mount Pleasant Group, which owns the land. The lease states that the only use for the property at 150 Beecroft Road is as a non-profit lawn bowling club and that such usage will be “continuous and uninterrupted except for maintenance, repairs and climactic conditions” until July 25, 2083.

The lease is currently being examined by the City of Toronto’s legal department with the potential intent of opening up negotiations to increase the uses for the property. This process started earlier this year when it was suggested that the clubhouse could serve as a warming centre during winter months.

“When the councillor’s office approached us with the idea of using the clubhouse as a warming centre, we were happy to support the community, but we immediately pointed out that such use is not allowed under the current lease,” says Eric Bergman, property manager of Willowdale LBC.

When Councillor Cheng visited the club for the first time on May 13 of this year, the board of directors asked to be included in any future lease negotiations. At the most recent meeting, she assured the board that she did contact the city’s legal department to have the club included, but since the lease agreement is between the city and Mount Pleasant Group—even with Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club specifically named in the lease as the sole sub-lessee for ninety-nine years—Councillor Cheng was informed that only city and cemetery representatives will be present at negotiations.

“We’re grateful to Councillor Cheng for trying on our behalf,” Bergman says. “Our concern is that unpalatable options will be presented to us if we are not at least consulted during negotiations. Our message is simple. We will be carefully monitoring any developments through the lens of what’s in the best interests of our members and the sport they enjoy. If necessary, we will help all parties understand the places in which we feel those interests are not being met.”

Artificial vs natural surface

Another issue discussed on July 6 is what to do with the centre green over the long term.

The centre green is a natural grass surface that requires almost constant care and attention.

Converting the centre green to an artificial surface would reduce the maintenance required. This would decrease the club’s reliance on volunteer resources, city assistance, and/or the revenue needed (between fifteen and twenty-five thousand dollars per year) to outsource turf management.

“Moving to an all-artificial club is a big decision,” Bergman says. “However, with a natural green, there are two potential long-term solutions. Either the city commits to taking care of the green for the next sixty years or the club spends between fifteen and twenty-five thousand dollars per year to hire someone to take care of the green.

“Asking volunteers to do the job is not a sustainable solution.”

Information session Tuesday, July 25

The board of directors is conducting an information session at the clubhouse at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25. Please join us to be brought up to date.

Special General Meeting on Tuesday, August 1

The board of directors is calling a special general meeting on Tuesday, August 1. Please join us. We need to achieve quorum so we vote on the long-term direction and health of the club.

If you’re looking for a stylish t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt or hat to wear on the greens, or a tote bag to get you to the club and back, look no further.

Willowdale member Marilyn Birman has designed new apparel for 2023 that is now available for purchase.

Short sleeve unisex t-shirts in white or black are available in sizes small to 3X at $15 each. Long-sleeve shirts are available in black or white and, like their short-sleeve counterparts, are available in sizes small to 3X. Cost is $20.90 each.

Caps are available in white at $9.00 each. One size fits all.

The tote bags are white with black trim and available for $16.50.

Payment can be made by cheque or Interac e-transfer.

Interested? You can contact Marilyn Birman by e-mail (marilynbirman@talkingts.net) or at 1-888-811-4001 extension 2.

It’s a barn burner, folks!

Joan and William have developed a lead on the strength of five wins. David and Lorine are in second, on the basis of the head-to-head result between them and Bernie / Eric.

Games can now be played either on the grass or the carpet.

The second flight of our 4 Elms Monday night doubles league is now accepting registrations.

This series has an eight-week schedule that begins Monday, August 14 and wraps up October 9. No games are scheduled for the Labour Day weekend.

Click here to register if you’re interested.

As expected, Vince is at the top of this leaderboard. Those who have played Vince, however, will have discovered someone who is more than willing to share knowledge while he demonstrates how it actually should be done.

Aside from that, however, Julie Bergman and William Sze are the ones to beat. Games can now be played on grass or carpet.

The second flight of our Sunday singles league is now accepting registrations.

This series has an eight-week schedule that begins August 13 and wraps up October 8. No games are scheduled for the Labour Day weekend.

Click here to register if you’re interested.