Editor:
I moved to Sechelt six years ago from small-town Ontario where I played pickleball year-round on six public courts in the gymnasium of the local rec centre. Since then the town has converted one of two outdoor public tennis courts into four pickleball courts and there is now a plan to convert the remaining tennis court to four more pickleball courts. Such is the popularity of this game with the quirky name.
Converting a single existing tennis court to four pickleball courts is a theme that is being replicated all over North America and around the world. Imagine my disappointment on arrival in Sechelt to discover a singular lack of public year-round playing possibilities. Indeed, Sechelt is way behind the trend!
The district recently announced a plan to renovate/resurface the Hackett Park racquet facility where pickleball lines had been previously added to the two tennis courts. On hearing this, the Sunshine Coast Pickleball Association (SCPA) proposed converting one tennis court to four dedicated pickleball courts and leaving the other court dedicated solely for tennis. A survey conducted by the Parks Department on court usage at Hackett Park showed overwhelming support in favour of the proposed SCPA plan. This would accommodate the simultaneous play of 16 pickleball players and still leave one tennis court available.
Thus I eagerly watched last week’s council meeting and was dismayed when a counterproposal by the Parks Department to convert one tennis court to only two pickleball courts was recommended and adopted. Adding insult to injury, council requested SCPA fundraise to cover a portion of the cost of conversion, even though it offers no additional courts for pickleball.
To me this shows a complete lack of understanding of the growth in popularity of pickleball and the need for Sechelt to address the demand for more playing opportunities. Furthermore, in my opinion, public recreational facilities should be financed by public funds. When will this council wake up to the reality that pickleball is here to stay and the commensurate need for dedicated pickleball courts is not going away? The Hackett Park proposal by the SCPA is a step in the right direction.
Peter Fisher, Sechelt
