The Tillsonburg council is starting a public engagement process about a new sports field complex.
Jun 24, 2026 • Last updated Jun 24, 2026 •
The Town of Tillsonburg plans to kick off a public consultation regarding a proposed recreation facility at 67 Mall Road. Photo by Town of Tillsonburg
The Tillsonburg council is starting a public engagement process about a new sports field complex.
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During its regular meeting on June 22, council members decided to gather opinions on the potential creation of a new facility at 67 Mall Road and selling the Annandale diamonds for future development.
“This is an exciting project that this council has been considering for quite some time,” said Councillor Chris Parker. “I’ve already seen some great ideas being shared by the public … and I think it’s going to be very important to get public feedback.”
Cephas Panschow, Tillsonburg’s development commissioner, mentioned that the process will involve public meetings, stakeholder meetings, and an online survey. Town staff will also reach out to local sports organizations and advisory groups.
“It was quite strongly stated on the campaign trail in 2022 that there was a need for more green space in the town, more community space,” Panschow said.
“We want to maintain, increase and enhance our green spaces, our trails and our connectivity within the town.
Concept drawings for the project-located on 36 acres of town-owned land-include four baseball/softball diamonds, three soccer fields, and tennis/pickleball courts that will be built in three phases. The number of fields, diamonds, and courts would need council approval.
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The town’s 2024 Economic Development and Marketing Capital Budget allocated $6,284,000 for land acquisition, studies, and approvals related to this initiative. It’s expected those costs would be offset through future sales and redevelopment of the town’s property at 160 Concession Street East based on market conditions and council approval.
“The public should know that no decisions have been made yet; that’s exactly why we’re reaching out to them for feedback,” said Mayor Deb Gilvesy.
The new complex would include lighting for the diamonds , centralized storage space , as well as an efficient parking area suitable for hosting tournaments. The current Annandale site , Panschow noted in his report , is “physically constrained” , limiting opportunities to add more fields , expand programming or support future recreational growth.
“While adding lighting could improve scheduling capacity , it wouldn’t solve these fundamental limitations which could bring additional impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods through increased evening activity , traffic , noise , and light spill ” he added.
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“At the end of the day , we want to meet the needs of sports enthusiasts in town while providing room for growth along with addressing housing needs within our community too ” he said.
The town’s recreation master plan suggests Tillsonburg will soon require up to eight diamonds to keep up with demand as the community expands. Panschow proposed that at least four new diamonds with lighting can help satisfy current demand; further additions could come later based on council’s decision.
“In many ways , Tillsonburg is at a crossroads; important choices must be made regarding enhancing our community ” Panschow explained.
“The possibility of creating a new sports field complex is thrilling; if realized it will position our town better to meet growing demands while attracting more sporting events along with associated spending.”
Panschow also suggested repurposing the current Annandale site into various housing types priced differently.
“Future residential development here could boost assessment growth while supporting long-term housing goals alongside sustainable municipal services,” Panschow added.
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