Softball tournament means Iqaluit summer is in full swing

As businesses and workplaces emptied for the long weekend, Iqaluit’s softball diamond filled up with players and spectators filled the stands for the annual Canada Day weekend softball tournament.

“I think it’s the kickoff to the summer for the people that are in town,” said Hillary Casey, president of the Iqaluit Slo Pitch League.

The softball tournament is also the start of the softball season. The regular season begins after the tournament ends, Casey said. Five years ago, the Canada Day weekend softball tournament was renamed the Billy Ford Memorial Tournament.

This year’s tournament ran for a full week, from June 26 until Monday, because of the number of teams in the tournament — 18 in three divisions. There were three games a night in the week, and games scheduled from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. over the weekend.

“People have been having a great time,” Casey said.

With three divisions and more than 425 players in the league, it is the largest recreational group in Iqaluit and possibly the territory, Casey added.

COVID-19 was one of the reasons for the surge in popularity, she said.

“When everyone was staying here and staying close to home [in 2020], it was one of the few activities that we had and were able to do as a team,” Casey said.

In 2020, the slo pitch league went from around 180 players to more than 300, she added.

Last weekend, vehicles consistently filled the parking spaces around the ball diamond and the stands were full.

On top of that, there was a beer garden for tournament where participants could watch a game, when they weren’t not playing.

For the ‘C’ division finals at 3 p.m. on Monday, around 60 people sat or stood around the diamond to watch the Lemmings face off against The Herd.

There are several new teams and players this year, Casey said.

“Regardless of the outcome of the game, [people] are coming off the field with personal bests and just feeling a real love of the sport and being on a team,” she added.

At 5 p.m. the ‘B’ division was to pit Balls Deep against Hit Squad.

While at 7 p.m. the ‘A’ division final was to feature Canadrill versus NuBrewCo Brewers.