Sundre Pickleball Courts Controversy: In Sundre, Alberta, local tennis players are upset after the town’s only public tennis court was recently redesigned for pickleball use only. The court, located behind Sundre High School, was once shared by both sports, but now no longer has tennis lines, leaving tennis players without a place to play.
Court Redesigned Without Tennis Lines
In 2021, the Sundre Pickleball Association helped restore the old tennis court. They resurfaced it to allow both pickleball and tennis. This summer, the group made further changes using a softer material for easier play — but only for pickleball. The court now has no tennis lines at all.
Steve Bouchet, a local resident and tennis fan, said he was surprised and upset. “Nobody knew,” said Steve Bouchet. “They painted all the courts just for pickleball, literally kicked out the tennis players.” He said he and others believed at least one court would remain for tennis. “There’s room for all,” said Steve Bouchet.
Now, he and other players feel tennis has been completely removed from the community. “The tennis players have nowhere to go now. I was very hurt and upset,” he added.
Players Say They Were Left Out
Steve Bouchet said the suggestion that tennis players could use the new outdoor rink isn’t realistic. He explained that tennis nets are not easy to move and usually stay in place. He also felt the decision was unfair to the wider community.
“There was zero compromise,” said Steve Bouchet. “They also said there was never any tennis players. That’s wrong. Look, here we are – there’s tennis players here.”
Another Sundre resident, Anton Walker, also played tennis regularly. “I would go probably a couple of times a week,” said Anton Walker. “Even on my own, I would practise my tennis serve.”
He sometimes played with his grandson, Adam Beukeboom, and even taught a few lessons to students at Sundre High School. Now, he has to travel to Innisfail or Red Deer to find usable courts. Anton Walker said removing the court lines ends the chance for new players to learn and enjoy the sport.
Community Feels Sport Has Been Erased
Steve Bouchet said losing tennis in Sundre is about more than just sports. “I think my greatest concern is taking an option away from the community,” he said. “And you can’t get that option back … the more options the better for anybody in a small town.”
Paul Shippy, another resident, started playing tennis after moving to Sundre in 2007. He learned the game with Anton Walker and played often before life got busy. “I became a tennis freak,” said Paul Shippy, who also enjoys pickleball.
He looked into playing at the outdoor rink but found several problems. The concrete surface creates glare in the sun, and the area lacks proper tennis net posts. He spoke with a concrete expert and found the surface would need to be sandblasted and re-sealed to work, which could be costly and damage the rink in winter.
Mayor Acknowledges Communication Gaps
Mayor Richard Warnock said he had spoken with members of the pickleball group and believed the court would still serve tennis players.
“That’s the way I understood it,” said Mayor Richard Warnock.
He explained the court sits on land owned by Chinook’s Edge School Division and is leased by the town. While he was not involved in the final design, he praised the pickleball group’s efforts.
“There’s a group of people who went out of their way to fundraise, to rehabilitate and do that court in the fashion and put it in the standard that it is today,” said Mayor Richard Warnock. “Those people deserve some credit for their hard work.”
He also said he plans to follow up with town staff after learning about the issues with using the outdoor rink. “It looks like there’s going to have to be some action taken there, and I will look into it,” he said.
What This Means for the Community
With no tennis courts left in Sundre, local players now must travel out of town. Many feel left out and hope for better communication and future compromise. For now, only pickleball is playable at the court, and the town is being asked to consider options for bringing tennis back.
News in Brief: Sundre Pickleball Courts Controversy
Tennis players in Sundre are upset after the town’s only court was changed to serve only pickleball. Residents say they were not consulted, and Mayor Richard Warnock plans to review the issue. Many fear that the loss of tennis limits options for sports and activity in the small community.
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