Blue Jays unveil first fully accessible baseball diamond in Toronto

Located in Scarbrough’s Highview Park, the diamond is covered in vulcanized rubber and features wide dugouts that accommodate those in wheelchairs. The diamond will be used by athletes in the Jays Care Challenger Baseball program, an adaptive baseball program for kids living with cognitive and/or physical disabilities. 

Halladay played for the Blue Jays from 1998-2009 before he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. During his time in Toronto, he and his wife Brandy hosted “Doc’s Box,” an invitation for children at Sick Kids and their families to watch Blue Jays games live. The diamond was named after Halladay because of his impact on Toronto’s youth when he played for the team. 

Toronto Mayor John Tory, Scarborough Southwest Councillor Gary Crawford, Jays Care Foundation Executive Director Robert Witchel and Halladay’s family were all present for the unveiling. Braden Hallaway, Roy’s son, threw out the first pitch before teams from the Challenger Baseball league played against each other. Each team donned Jays jerseys with Halladay’s number 32. 

In a press release, Tory shared the importance of this field. “The opening of Roy Halladay Field is a historic day for Toronto and was made possible because of the partnership with Jays Care. It means that a lot of young people with unique abilities will be able to play the game of baseball on an incredible field in our city. This is a fitting tribute to the legacy of Roy Halladay and to our shared commitment as a community to ensure everyone has access to sports.”