Lakeshore council is taking the first step toward redeveloping the pickleball courts at the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre.
Council voted on Tuesday evening to spend up to $300,000 on detailed design work for two potential redevelopment options.
The existing courts were first installed in 2016 and have since developed a number of issues with the underlying foundation, drainage, and surface.
The approved design work will look at removing the two existing tennis courts and rebuilding the site to accommodate 12 pickleball courts - doubling the current number.
The two options being studied include a basic reconstruction with a price tag of $1.1-million and a roughly $4.2-million option, which would add a metal shade structure and lighting over six of the courts.
Council also directed administration to apply for funding through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund and the Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Grant to help cover the cost of the courts in the future regardless of which option the next term of council chooses.
Chris Moore, a Lakeshore Pickleball Association board member, was a delegate during the meeting and says new courts are needed as interest in the sport continues to grow.
“We run seven leagues currently to provide pickleball opportunities for people, we run evening and daytime leagues. We run clinics, we have support Lakeshore Recreation with running youth clinics. Youth pickleball has taken off like crazy.”
Councillor John Kerr was opposed and says he’s not comfortable spending thousands of dollars to have design work done when it’s unclear which direction will be taken.
“I kind of get a little bit nervous about it, and to the pickleballers again, I’m not against pickleball... I think it’s great, but it’s just... how do I approve spending taxpayer dollars.”
Councillor Kelsey Santarossa says the municipality needs to get the ball rolling on this replacement.
“I don’t want to see us push this to the next council because as we looked at the timeline, it’s 2027 design, 2028 construction, we want everybody to play and hopefully bring some of that sport tourism to the region too.”
The detailed design and funding applications are not a final decision on the size or cost of the project. Council will receive another report once the design work is complete, costs are refined, and funding decisions are known.
As part of this report, Leffler Park would then gain the two tennis courts that were removed at the ATRC instead of having their own pickleball courts installed.
The motion passed six to two, with councillors Kerr and Larissa Vogler opposed.
This will be brought forward in the 2027 budget to begin field investigations and the detailed design. The construction budget will be brought forward in the 2028 budget.