Working Together to Support the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club

This past weekend I had the pleasure of rolling the first bowl of the season as the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club kicked off their 2026 season. It’s always a stressful moment for me as I’m coached by Canadian champion Chrystal Shephard, prior to embarrassing myself before the entire club. Thankfully, my ball did not veer off too far this year.

Prior to their opening, we convened a meeting with the dedicated team of club leaders and City staff to discuss ongoing state-of-good-repair concerns, most notably the condition of the aging artificial turf surface. The turf is visibly worn out in many areas, which results in reduced safety and playability.

City staff have committed to completing a full assessment of the turf this month and will continue exploring options to advance this state-of-good-repair project. They also mentioned that their plan would include a budget for maintaining the turf as part of the State of Good Repair budget. Unfortunately, a maintenance budget was not included when the current turf was installed over a decade ago.

While the significant capital investment required makes this work unlikely to be completed in 2026, I am hopeful that funding will be considered in the 2027 City Budget, with the possibility of repairs and installation in fall 2027.

If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to check out the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club. It is a quiet oasis in our neighbourhood, with a serene clubhouse and a chance to connect with fellow bowlers, both seasoned and newbies. You can try it out during their Open House hours in May and June, Saturdays 1-4pm and Tuesdays 7-9pm. New bowlers are welcome!

I am grateful to the community members who care so deeply for this space and to City staff for their commitment to improving turf conditions.