RMWB council approves funding for pickleball courts

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An outdoor rink in Thickwood will be converted into pickleball courts after council approved building more courts to keep up with the sport’s increasing popularity.

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The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) will install plexipave over the concrete surface at the Hinge Bay Outdoor Rink on Signal Road. The estimated cost for the acrylic surface is $100,000, plus up to $10,000 for a bladder. Temporary nets are expected to cost $16,000. The project’s total cost is $126,000.

Councillor Allan Grandison proposed turning existing assets into a pickleball court because of the sport’s popularity and growing demand.

Ian Kelly, president of the Fort McMurray Pickleball Club, said the club has grown to 160 members since it was founded in June. As a result, the existing public courts at MacDonald Island Park and the Anzac Recreation Centre are frequently booked.

Kelly said this is slowing the sport’s growth in Fort McMurray while Grande Prairie, Cochrane, Calgary and Edmonton have expanded their pickleball courts.

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“Many clubs across Alberta are sending their youths to tournaments and they’re coming home with trophies. Meanwhile, for McMurray has yet to have the infrastructure to support any opportunities for our residents,” said Kelly.

The option passed was the most expensive of the four options presented to council at their Tuesday meeting, but it was the most high-quality option.

Other options included installing four portable nets and painting lines on the same rink for $24,000; relining two existing tennis courts at Coreless Field to include pickleball lines at a cost of $10,000; resurfacing an existing Coreless Field tennis court with Plexipave for $75,000; or doing nothing.

Kelly supported the $24,000 option because he hoped it would be the fastest option to get more people playing the sport.

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Grandison said much of the interest in pickleball he was seeing came from seniors, so he was surprised so many young people were playing the sport. Kelly said most club members are in their 30s, but said it is a sport friendly to any age group. As a teacher, Kelly said pickleball has also interested many of the students.

“It’s growing amongst all age groups right now. It’s no longer just a seniors’ game,” said Kelly.

Mayor Sandy Bowman said during a tour of Imperial Oil’s Kearl Lake site, the pickleball court is one of the most popular recreational opportunities at the camp. Councillors Grandison and Ken Ball had concerns about proper surfacing.

Councillor Kendrick Cardinal voted against all options because he argued the RMWB’s rural communities have been left out of many recent municipally-led discussions on recreational opportunities. Councillor Loretta Waquan said she supported the motion, but said Cardinal’s concerns are valid.

Council rejected the $24,000 option, with only councillors Grandison, Keith McGrath and Stella Lavallee in favour. The motion council approved was opposed only by Grandison and Cardinal. Councillors Lance Bussieres and Funky Banjoko were absent.

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vmcdermott@postmedia.com

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