The rapid growth of the popularity of pickleball has put Grey Highlands council in a pickle.
At its meeting on May 15, Grey Highlands council received a delegation from Pickleball Club of Grey Highlands that requested council consider giving the club permission to create a plan to build four new outdoor pickleball courts on land at the Flesherton Arena complex.
The request from the club created a conundrum for council and set off a lengthy discussion that stretched longer than an hour. The question in front of council was how to accommodate the pickleball club’s ambition to move forward on a project for permanent courts within the municipality’s overall plans for recreation in the community.
Club members Reid Dennison, Karen Alton and Doug Alton were all on hand at the meeting to encourage council to consider permanent pickleball courts.
Dennison said pickleball continues to gain popularity. He said the average age of the local club is now under 40.
“Yes, the growth lately has been dizzying,” he said. “Our club was created one year ago to promote the game and increase opportunities to play.”
Dennison explained that there is only one outdoor pickleball court available in Grey Highlands and it limits the amount of outdoor playing time available.
“Many of us prefer to play outdoors,” he said.
The club has been looking at available public properties where permanent pickleball courts could be constructed and suggested land at the Flesherton Arena was an ideal and centrally located place. The club requested the town identify the arena space as a potential site for courts, which would allow them to begin fundraising for the project.
The request raised some issues for council. Earlier in the meeting, Barb Henry of the Flesherton Minor Ball Association spoke to council and said her group would be interested in expanding the baseball facilities at the Flesherton arena complex.
“We are growing,” she said, noting that they had 125 players signed up. “That little diamond is often bursting at the seams.”
Both Henry and the pickleball representatives expressed hope that the two groups could work together on any projects to improve the Flesherton complex.
Councillors also had to consider the municipality’s Recreation Master Plan. That plan was completed two years ago and staff have been working on reports for recreation initiatives based on the recommendations in the plan. CAO Karen Govan expressed a concern that council would be acting on an ad hoc basis if it supported the pickleball club’s request.
Council engaged in a lengthy debate about how to proceed after the pickleball delegation. Council faced a choice of requesting a report from staff about pickleball courts immediately, or to wait until pickleball matters came forward through the recreation master plan.
“When a group comes forward and offers to work and fundraise, we need to move on it,” said Coun. Paul Allen.
Coun. Joel Loughead agreed, pointing out that the recreation master plan has been around for a couple of years now.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re any closer to creating a space for pickleball here in Grey Highlands,” said Loughead. “We need to begin actually acting on the plans we commissioned.”
Coun. Dan Wickens wanted to see action right away.
“We have (a group) here that wants to do something. They have a plan. This is a popular sport,” said Wickens, who added he isn’t a fan of the recreation master plan. “Sometimes we make plans to make plans to make plans.”
Ultimately, council voted 6-1 in favour of receiving the pickleball delegation for information and to request a report from staff on the specific requests made by the delegation. Wickens was the lone vote against.
