In Mississauga Majors v. Provincial Women’s Softball Association, the Applicant, the Mississauga Majors Baseball Association, a not-for-profit corporation that offers baseball and softball leagues exclusively for youth and young adult females (the “Majors”), sought a declaration from the court directing the Respondent, the Provincial Women’s Softball Association (“PWSA”), which is the governing body for women’s softball in Ontario, to comply with its by-laws. The Majors also sought an order compelling the PWSA to grant membership to the Majors. The case was heard before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which released its decision on September 20, 2024.
The PWSA is a not-for-profit corporation that operates a softball association in Ontario, and in 2024, had 58 association members which field 220 rep teams in Ontario. Since the PWSA is the organization that sanctions Ontario provincial qualifiers and championships and selects the Women’s Ontario Softball Team, the Majors took the view that its membership in the PWSA was essential to attract and retain players who hope to have a future in softball. The Majors alleged that it loses players each year to other softball associations that offer rep programs (which provide advanced training and competition to players who wish to develop their skills at a higher level) because the Majors is not a member of the PWSA, even though the Majors is a member of a number of other associations including Baseball Ontario, the Central Ontario Baseball Association, and other regional baseball associations and leagues.
The Majors applied for association membership with the PWSA twice. However, both applications were denied, leading the Majors to seek a court order compelling the PWSA to grant membership.