Human Rights Complaint
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has accepted a complaint on behalf of all female softball players who have played at Pemberton Park since 2016. The complaint, filed by Beacon Hill Softball parent Mike Sharpe, alleges gender discrimination by the City of Victoria.
For years, female athletes at Pemberton Park had no regulation softball field or proper fencing, while male baseball programs at Hollywood Park and Hillside Park enjoyed full amenities, including permanent bleachers and batting cages. The softball field remained non-regulation, with irregular and oversized cutouts until 2021—after a Human Rights complaint prompted the City to act. Beacon Hill’s requested improvements would have been paid almost entirely by the association, a model allowed at the baseball facility but denied for softball, highlighting ongoing inequities. Despite recent upgrades, significant disparities in facility quality and access for female athletes persist.
The complaint, after numerous delays, is expected to be heard by the end of the year.
The complaint documentation is available for viewing and downloading on the timeline webpage.
WHO IS INCLUDED IN THIS COMPLAINT?
All female softball players registered with the Beacon Hill Baseball Softball Association who have played at Pemberton Park since the start of the 2016 season and/or currently play at Pemberton Park are part of the group. The complaint is against the City of Victoria. There is no financial or time obligation on the part of members of the group or their families.
BRIEF BACKGROUND
Little League baseball, played predominantly by boys, takes place in the city of Victoria at Hollywood Park and Hillside Park. The city provides and maintains high-quality facilities that are properly prepared and installed in accordance with Little League Canada regulations for league and tournament play. The boys also have access to permanent batting cages adjacent to their fields, field lighting, and fully operational concession stands.
Softball is played at Pemberton Park on a non-regulation field that is not skinned for softball or any known sport for that matter. It does not meet the regulations of any softball organization in Canada. The park does not have a batting cage or field lighting, and the concession is very limited in what it can offer.
In 2017, the City set aside $157,000 for field, infrastructure, and landscape improvements at Hollywood and Pemberton Parks. Only $2,000 of that was spent at the softball field at Pemberton (1.3% of the available funds).
About the Complainant
The Human Rights Group Complaint was filed by Mike Sharpe on behalf of the young women who play softball at Pemberton Park. We are fortunate and thankful to have Danielle Truant and John Heaney as our legal counsel assisting us in this matter. We also appreciate the assistance of Bill Hawkins, District 1 Minor Coordinator, Softball BC.
Mike has worked extensively for the last years with the City of Victoria on behalf of the softball program to try to come to an agreement with the City Parks Department to provide an equal field and facilities at Pemberton Park for the young women’s softball program as they have done for the baseball programs at Hollywood Park and Hillside Park.
He was instrumental in coordinating with the City of Victoria on the construction of the new concrete bleacher built and paid for by Beacon Hill at Hollywood Park and is relied on regularly around both Hollywood and Pemberton Parks for maintenance as well as pre- and post-season setup.
Mike has been and continues to be involved with the Beacon Hill Baseball Softball Association as a parent and assistant coach since his daughter started in T-ball up to the present U14 age group. He also served as a board member until February 11, 2020, when he resigned in order to file this complaint. He hopes to return to the Board following the completion of the Tribunal hearing.
What are we asking for?
We are seeking a commitment from the City of Victoria and the Parks Department to provide and maintain a safe and properly skinned infield for the softball program at Pemberton Park and to provide similar amenities as they provide for the boys baseball programs. (In 2021, following the Human Rights Tribunal’s acceptance of this complaint, the city of Victoria upgraded the field and the fencing. Other deficiencies remain unaddressed.)
We are seeking unspecified damages for injury to the dignity, feelings, self-respect, and negative impact on opportunities of each young woman who has been registered with the Beacon Hill Baseball Softball Association since the start of the 2016 season and/or currently plays at Pemberton Park.
We are seeking an agreement that requires the City of Victoria to create a gender equity policy pertaining to the use of city parks that sets out objectives and guidelines for the Parks Department, which, on implementation, will prevent situations like this from reoccurring.
View a comparison of softball and baseball field facilities.
View a comparison of Pemberton with other softball fields.