Adults aren鈥檛 supposed to be playing pickleball in B.C. right now, given provincial health orders, but Marion O鈥橞yrne hopes for more places to play the game in North 性视界传媒 once COVID-19 eases its grip.

She knows those courts won鈥檛 be coming anytime soon, however, as city hall tries to meet demand for such facilities.

A retiree, O鈥橞yrne is among a growing legion of pickleball players in 性视界传媒, where the racquet game has exploded in popularity in recent years. Some outdoor tennis courts across the city are being converted to places for pickleball play, and indoor court time is tough to find in the winter months.

鈥淚 like the social aspect, and for seniors it鈥檚 much easier on the joints,鈥� said O鈥橞yrne, who discovered pickleball at Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre six years ago.

鈥淭he racquet for pickleball is like a giant table tennis paddle, so it鈥檚 lighter weight, and the ball is a wiffle ball, with holes in it, and it鈥檚 different for indoor and outdoors, because of the wind outdoors. It鈥檚 an easy game to play and it鈥檚 easy to learn. It鈥檚 fun.鈥�

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O鈥橞yrne recently wrote 性视界传媒鈥檚 mayor and council to complain about a lack of recreation facilities in 性视界传媒鈥檚 north area, where she鈥檚 lived for more than 45 years, following approval of .

鈥淣orth 性视界传媒 has less and less recreational opportunities with the pool closure, rinks moved down the hill to Bridgeview and only has Chuck Bailey recreation centre, an excellent but very small centre with limited programs. Yoga is often held in the computer room for lack of space,鈥� she wrote.

The Chuck Bailey facility is home to four indoor pickleball courts, while most other 性视界传媒 rec centres have eight, O鈥橞yrne noted.

Outdoors, portable nets and court markings have allowed for games at Kwantlen, Robson and Bridgeview parks. 鈥淲e were very happy with Kwantlen and Robson, with the added ability to walk or ride a bike to these locations. Then, for some unknown reason, they took Kwantlen away from us,鈥� O鈥橞yrne wrote.

鈥淲hen we could play at Chuck Bailey,鈥� she said, 鈥渢here were times when you couldn鈥檛 get in. When they reopened during COVID they allowed fewer players, and people couldn鈥檛 get in. People know there鈥檚 limited court space there, so they go elsewhere.

鈥淩esidents of this area deserve better than this. We鈥檙e being forced to drive out of our own neighbourhood for recreation.鈥�

鈥� RELATED STORY: 性视界传媒 mayor 鈥榗ould not be any prouder鈥� as budget 2021 passes on five-to-four vote.

The council-approved city budget promises new outdoor pickleball courts at Sunnyside Reservoir (South 性视界传媒 Athletic Park), as part of regional district plans to upgrade the reservoir and create of a large concrete pad, and also at a new City Centre Spray Park and Courts.

In response to O鈥橞yrne鈥檚 letter, and perhaps to a petition calling for more outdoor pickleball courts in North 性视界传媒, a Parks, Recreation & Culture department employee wrote back noting council鈥檚 Dec. 7 approval of $40 million for Phase 1 of City Centre Sports Complex, to include an expansion of Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, 鈥渨ith project engagement and design to begin in 2021.鈥� As for what amenities the facility will include, feedback will be sought from residents.

The new courts in City Centre are promised by 2023, the city鈥檚 letter to O鈥橞yrne notes. 鈥淎t this point in our planning, the final location for this new facility has not yet been identified. While we recognize that new pickleball courts in North 性视界传媒 remain a couple of years away per the City鈥檚 2021-2025 Capital Plan, we look forward to 2023 and engaging with the community to design and deliver this new facility.鈥�

In a letter to this newspaper, Tim Hoang said he wonders why the City of 性视界传媒 plans to build a second outdoor pickleball facility in South 性视界传媒 before building the first and only one for North 性视界传媒. 鈥淲ith seniors the majority among pickleball players, some may not survive to see the outdoor pickleball facility in North 性视界传媒 in the future,鈥� Hoang wrote.

O鈥橞yrne would like to see permanent outdoor pickleball courts built at Kwantlen Park, ideally something like the 鈥渂eautiful鈥� facility at Chalmers Park in North Delta.

Meantime, 性视界传媒鈥檚 lone permanent outdoor pickleball facility is located at Greenaway Park in Cloverdale. This and other pickleball courts in 性视界传媒 are shown on the city鈥檚 website, .

鈥� RELATED STORY: Pickleball is 鈥榓ll the rage鈥� for 性视界传媒 Pickleball Club members.

Ken Nowlan, president of the 300-member , has played the game for about two years.

鈥淚 was a competitive squash player for years, and people told me about pickleball,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 took a lesson through our curling club, which offered summer pickleball, and I just fell in love with it right away, as is the case with most people.鈥�

Members of the club, which became a non-profit society two years ago, play outdoors at South 性视界传媒 Athletic Park, in an area of 性视界传媒 Nowlan says is 鈥渁 hotbed鈥� for the sport. 鈥淲e usually operate from April 1st to the end of September, depending on the weather,鈥� he explained. 鈥淲e had people playing two weeks ago, until the most recent clampdown on gatherings.鈥�

The club is looking to rent private facilities for members to play during the winter months, as guaranteed court time, Nowlan said.

鈥溞允咏绱�媒鈥檚 rec program offers scheduled indoor pickleball, and those are grossly oversubscribed,鈥� Nowlan said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e considered drop-in, with registration 24 hours in advance, and if you鈥檙e not in the system registering 23 hours and 55 minutes in advance, you don鈥檛 get in 鈥� so there鈥檚 huge, huge demand for the indoor winter courts.鈥�

Nowlan recently did a presentation to 性视界传媒鈥檚 parks and rec committee about the state of pickleball in the city.

鈥淚 showed photos of a typical day at various places where pickleball and tennis players can play, and the pickleball courts were bursting at the seams, overflowing, and there was nobody on the tennis courts,鈥� Nowlan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hugely popular, and really oversubscribed, even with the conversions the city has done to convert tennis courts into pickleball courts.鈥�

He expects club membership to jump by 100 or more in the coming year.

鈥淭his year was bad,鈥� Nowlan admitted, 鈥渂ecause the season was pretty much cancelled because of the COVID situation, so we lost some members. But I expect that number to jump again, based on response we鈥檝e had on our website and , to explode to around 400 this coming year.鈥�

Provincially, Pickleball BC was founded in 2017. , look for pickleball court locations around the Lower Mainland.

鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2018: B.C. man remains kicked out of pickleball association after feud plays out in court.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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