Heritage Heights Pickleball Courts Opening: Spectators and city officials celebrated the opening of Yorkton’s new pickleball courts in the Heritage Heights neighborhood over the weekend. The courts, costing over $300,000 with $50,000 raised by Yorkton Pickleball, are now open to the public and aim to promote community sports and local participation.
Event Highlights
Dozens of players enjoyed matches of pickleball on Saturday afternoon. Among them were city officials including Mayor Aaron Kienle, Coun. Quinn Haider, and city manager Brad Hvidston. Yorkton Pickleball president Gina Saki said,
“It’s a beautiful day out on our brand-new courts.”
Jessica Resler, Yorkton’s recreation services manager and project coordinator, explained the work involved in preparing the courts.
“We had to tear out the previous asphalt, resurface, relevel. It was a big project,” she said.
Growth of Pickleball in Yorkton
Pickleball, a sport with roots in the U.S. from the 1960s, is growing in Canada. A survey by Pickleball Canada found over 1.5 million Canadians play the sport. Yorkton Pickleball now has more than 200 members.
The sport combines elements of tennis and table tennis, played with a large paddle and plastic balls. Gina Saki explained,
“The court is very different. Normally in tennis, there are doubles. But in pickleball, we do play a lot of doubles. Initially pickleball was deemed as a senior sport, but that’s actually not the case. The best women’s pickleball player in the world is 18 years old.”
Future Plans and Community Impact
The organization plans to hold tournaments in the future, but the courts are already open for public use for both pickleball and tennis. Jessica Resler added,
“To see this project flourish, and to know it’ll continue to grow and build for future generations, I’m just feeling really encouraged about community sports right now.”
News in Brief: Heritage Heights Pickleball Courts Opening
Yorkton opened new pickleball courts in Heritage Heights, costing over $300,000 with $50,000 raised by Yorkton Pickleball. Dozens attended, including Mayor Aaron Kienle and city officials. Pickleball’s growing popularity in Canada is reflected in Yorkton, with 200 members. The courts are now open for public play.