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CROSS-BORDER CONVERTS : A STORY OF PICKLEBALL , PASSION & PATCHED CONCRETE
By Jim MacQuarrie
The first thing you need to
know about Protection Island , British Columbia , is that it ’ s unique . A small island oasis of wild green parks , gravel-strewn beaches , an abundance of birds and wildlife , and dusty dirt roads connecting a community of about 400 people . It is located north of the state of Washington on the Pacific coast of Canada . Downtown Nanaimo is just a 10-minute boat ride away .
Protection Island is eclectic . Our residents include a mix of retired university administrators and online workers along with a host of aging hippies , sailors , handymen , craftspeople and musicians . In summer , we are joined by a regular contingent of American citizens escaping the heat down south . That is where my story begins — with one special American neighbor and his cross-border import of the bare necessities of pickleball .
Fred is from southern California ; however a big part of his heart lives here , and we all know it . On his Canadian sojourns , Fred would arrive with enthusiastic stories about his love of the game of