West Prince to welcome $2 million 'state-of-the-art' baseball park

Prince County is getting a new "state-of-the-art" baseball park at Mill River Resort, that organizers say will be a home run with players and families. 

The facility in Woodstock, P.E.I., which will be named after Don McDougall, owner and chairman of Mill River Resort, is expected to open this August, with full completion expected in five years.

McDougall was a key figure in establishing the Toronto Blue Jays during his time as president of Labatt Brewing Company. He is also well-known for his passion for baseball and dedication to his community.

Rhonda Pauls, the executive director of Baseball P.E.I., said the park will feature the Island's first-ever turf field for baseball, designed to be fully accessible for athletes of all abilities. 

"That's one of the big deals about this project is that we will be able to have athletes of any ability to play baseball here," said Pauls. "It will be a fully adaptable field for our oldest athletes to our youngest athletes to be able to utilize the field."

For McDougall, the park will play a significant role in the local community, where he grew up and has seen how baseball has long been a big part of the area, he said. 

"This is going to be very motivational to the younger generation to see a state-of-the-art turf field," he said. "But I would emphasize that is not just for West Prince. I think it will be very good for baseball on P.E.I."

The turf field will be a fenced-in area with dugouts and bullpens, with a 600-metre walking track encircling the entire park.

There will also be two outdoor green gym spaces providing exercise opportunities for different groups. Pauls said one area will focus on agility, speed and power for athletes and teams, while the second will cater to the needs of older players.

The project is expected to cost just under $2 million and is funded by the Province's Rural Growth Initiative, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the 2023 Canada Games Legacy Fund. The Toronto Blue Jays' Jays Care Foundation is also contributing $250,000. Mill River Resort is donating the land, which McDougall estimates is worth about $1 million. 

Baseball P.E.I. has long relied on fields owned by municipalities, Pauls said, which means the group needs to apply to get space to hold a tournament, to schedule things and pay user fees in most situations.

Having its own facility will be a game changer, she said. 

"If we want to host a national championship, what a better place to bring people where you've got lodging on site and other amenities for the families that want to come and see their athletes play," she said. 

"And you're not at a baseball field in the middle of nowhere. You're actually in this fantastic mini cultural centre of all the things that you could want to do as a family close to the ocean in this beautiful place."