Surrey council approved a new, revised operator agreement with the Canadian Amateur Sport Society (CASS), which operates Softball City, at its July 27 regular meeting.
Located in South Surrey, Softball City is a premier softball complex featuring four fully lit championship-calibre diamonds, spectator seating, dugouts, backstops, fencing, and supporting amenities. The facility also includes a centrally located two-storey pavilion that houses administrative offices, a meeting room, and a licensed restaurant and bar that serves tournaments, leagues, and special events, a city corporate report noted.
The venue is recognized as a significant softball and sport tourism venue in Surrey and has served as the home of the Canada Cup International Softball Championship since 1993, with Team Canada winning the international championship at July’s Canada Cup event, taking the 2026 title after several days of competition. The annual tournament attracts more than 1,500 international athletes, as well as thousands of spectators and visitors, each year.
CASS, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing softball opportunities for participants of all ages and skill levels, currently operates Softball City and is responsible for programming, facility operations, tournament coordination, and venue promotion, the report continued. Through these activities, CASS supports a wide range of fastpitch and slo-pitch programming while hosting major events, including Canada Cup and other high-profile tournaments.
The city owns the park lands and provides strategic operational support, including maintenance and repair of all structural amenities, as well as maintenance and repair of the four ball diamond infields and outfield turfgrass; this arrangement helps ensure that Softball City is maintained to a standard capable of attracting high-level national and international competition, maximizing sport tourism benefits for Surrey.
An estimated at $100,000 of in-kind support is provided by the city annually, the report shared, and the city also permits CASS to operate the restaurant and bar space and retain all subsequent revenue.
Despite these cooperative efforts, CASS has experienced significant operating deficits since 2024. As a result, the long-term viability of continuing operations has become increasingly challenging without a revised operating arrangement. CASS and the City are currently operating under an operating agreement executed in 2018, which expires Dec. 31, 2027.
The proposed agreement would replace the existing arrangement and establish revised operating responsibilities and financial support, the corporate report said, with the proposed operating agreement providing increased city support, while continuing to leverage the programming expertise, event-hosting experience, and volunteer commitment of CASS.
The new, proposed agreement will “help ensure the long-term viability of the facility while supporting league play, tournament hosting, and major international events that contribute to Surrey’s reputation as a destination for sport tourism and high-quality sporting events.”
Key terms of the proposed agreement include:
• Initial five-year term, with two optional five-year renewal terms, subject to CASS meeting the terms and conditions of the agreement.
City responsibilities
• Maintenance of the pavilion, including offices, concession areas, and the restaurant and bar;
• Maintenance and repair of structural amenities, including field lighting, electronic scoreboards, bleachers, storage buildings, and interior and exterior chain-link fencing;
• Ball diamond maintenance, including periodic infield renovations and outfield turf maintenance, irrigation, fertilization, and integrated pest management (IPM);
• Maintenance and repair of the asphalt parking lot; and
• Facility troubleshooting and on-call operational support.
CASS responsibilities
• Programming and scheduling of league and tournament play;
• Operation of the restaurant and bar;
• Janitorial services for the pavilion and exterior washrooms;
• Site security, lock-up, and monitoring;
• Litter collection and refuse management;
• Timely reporting of facility issues requiring City attention; and
• Responsibility for utilities and site services, including BC Hydro, FortisBC, telecommunications services, garbage and recycling collection, pest control, fire suppression systems, and alarm monitoring.
Grant
• An annual contribution of $100,000 to provide CASS with financial stability and support the effective long-term operation of Softball City.
CASS has confirmed that the annual contribution is necessary to sustain the ongoing operation of Softball City — without this type of arrangement, CASS has advised that it may be unable to continue operating the complex, placing league play, tournament hosting, including the longstanding and celebrated Canada Cup, clubhouse operations, and related sport tourism benefits at risk. CASS will submit an application for grant funding by the next intake deadline of Sept. 30, 2026, the report said, adding for subsequent years, CASS will annually submit their application for grant funding to meet the annual intake deadline of Sept.30.
Funding for the operating agreement is included within the proposed 2027 City Grants Budget and remains subject to council approval each year.
“Softball City is a cornerstone of community sport, engagement and sport tourism in Surrey,” the report concluded. “Approval of this operating agreement will ensure continued collaboration and integration between the city and CASS, supporting the successful operation and long-term sustainability of this unique and highly valued sport facility.”