Christie Pits
| Christie Pits | |
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| Type | Urban park and recreational sport facility |
| Location | 750 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°39′53″N 79°25′15″W / 43.66472°N 79.42083°WCoordinates: 43°39′53″N 79°25′15″W / 43.66472°N 79.42083°W |
| Area | 21.9 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Created | 1909 (as Willowvale Park) |
| Operated by | Toronto Parks |
| Public transit access | Christie station |
| Website | CHRISTIE PITS |
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| Former names | Christie Pits Field |
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| Location | Christie/Barton |
| Coordinates | 43°39′57″N 79°25′13″W / 43.66583°N 79.42028°W |
| Owner | City of Toronto |
| Field size | Left Field Foul Line 91 metres (299 ft) Right Field Foul Line 91 metres (299 ft) Centre Field Line 100 metres (330 ft) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | |
Christie Pits, originally Willowvale Park, is a Toronto public recreational area located at 750 Bloor Street West at Christie Street, just west of the Toronto Transit Commission Christie subway station.
The park has an area of 21.9 acres (8.9 ha), about half of which is grassed picnic areas, the rest being various sports fields. Sports facilities on the site include three baseball diamonds (one full-sized and fenced named "Dominico Field"), basketball courts, a soccer/rugby/football field, and The Alex Duff Outdoor Pool, splash pad and adjacent outdoor ice rink which are located on the west edge of the park at 779 Crawford Street.
The sides of the pits are highly sloped, as a result of which most of the area of the park sits well below street level. The slopes are used in winter for tobogganing and related activities. Garrison Creek runs under the park, converted to a storm sewer at the turn of the 20th century.
The park was named after the Christie Sand Pits which were on the location until the early 1900s. The sand pits had been named after Christie Street, which was named after William Mellis Christie, co-founder of the Christie & Brown Cookie Company, now known simply as Mr. Christie. The official name of the park, Willowvale Park, never caught on, and the common name for the park since its days as a sand pit, Christie Pits, was adopted as the park's official name in 1983.
There are three baseball fields at the Pits. The large and main venue is in the northeast corner of the park. The field has limited seating capacity with bench seats along the first and third bases with most spectators sitting along the grass hills. A wood broadcast booth is located at the top of the northeast corner. There are no change rooms at this field; players change in the washrooms near the concession stand beyond centre field. The park hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs of Intercounty Baseball, the High Park Juniors of the Toronto Baseball Association, and local high school games. A smaller baseball diamond is located next to the washroom facilities.
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