Saint Albert Pickleball
L
ast August, more than 100 attendees celebrated the
official Grand Opening of 12 new pickleball courts in St.
Albert, Alberta. The opening ceremonies included a fun
tournament, ribbon cutting and speeches by a number of
dignitaries, including St. Albert Mayor, Ms. Cathy Heron, and the
president of Pickleball Canada, Mr. Doug Thomson.
The new pickleball courts took more than 18 months to complete—
from the idea to refurbish derelict tennis courts to the official grand
opening. The club was involved throughout the entire process from
initial design through final construction.
In November 2017, St. Albert City Council voted for a budget
of $275,000 for the courts to the cheers of approximately 60 club
members wearing club shirts and joyfully waving paddles in the
council chamber. The St. Albert Pickleball Club (SAPC) applied for,
and received, a $125,000 Community Facility Enhancement Program
grant from the province of Alberta for this project.
The courts were completed on time and on budget. They feature a
durable outdoor sports surface, a walkway with benches between the
courts, wheelchair accessibility, and large gates that swing inward
and outward to each court.
SAPC had just six members when it was founded in fall 2014.
Today, it has more than 500 members, with more joining all the
time. Thanks to the efforts of the SAPC board and the support of
its members, there are now 18 outdoor courts in St. Albert for club
members to enjoy during the outdoor season. •
visibility in the world of parasport and
should encourage an increase of the
para-pickleball membership.
The Québec Para-Pickleball Club
already has several achievements to
its credit and this year looks equally
decisive. We will continue recruiting
efforts to increase the pool of players
available at participating centers
while hoping the sport can develop in
all regions of Québec.
In addition, we will continue to
spread the “good news” beyond all
borders and establish links with
all organizations or individuals
interested in para-pickleball—a
healthy sport, certainly, but also one
of accessibility and social inclusion!
In February, the
Kawatomo family
cleaned up in Ontario,
winning medals at the
Limestone Classic in
Kingston, Ontario.
Ellen & Jess-4.5+ gold
Jess & Matt-5.0 mixed gold
Matt & Ernesto-5.0 silver
Linda & Steph-4.0 bronze
Steph & Sam-4.0 mixed
silver.
Daniel Lepage | President
Pierre-Yves Roy | Vice President,
Québec Para-Pickleball Club
Facebook:
@clubparapickleballquebec
Email: [email protected]
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce that Kingston, Ontario, and the Kingston Pickleball Club will host the
2019 and 2020 Canadian National Pickleball Tournaments!
PLACES TO PLAY TOURNAMENT CALENDAR
www.pickleballcanada.org/places_to_play.php www.memberleap.com/members/calendar6c_responsive.php?org_id=PBCA
MEMBERS LOGIN LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER?
www.memberleap.com/members/mlogin.php?org_id=PBCA Check out the opportunities online at pickleballcanada.org.
MARCH/APRIL 2019 |
MAGAZINE
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