Thunder Bay Pickleball Club Bounces Back: The closure of Thunder Bay’s Moose Lodge has forced the Thunder Bay Pickleball Club to seek a new home for its members. After nearly seven years of using the Moose Lodge hall on Fort William Road, pickleball players have had to adjust their schedules and find alternative facilities. The closure, while impacting the Moose Lodge’s membership, has especially affected the pickleball community, which has relied on the space for regular play.
Thunder Bay Pickleball Club Steps In
The Thunder Bay Pickleball Club, which has a close relationship with the Moose Lodge players, is finalizing arrangements to relocate its sessions to the gym at Lakehead University’s law school. Club president Jake Krawczuk explained that while the club doesn’t directly operate pickleball sessions at the Moose Lodge, a significant overlap exists between its members and those who played at the Lodge. He estimated that about 80 percent of the 150 to 200 players at the Moose Lodge were also part of the club, many of whom played there three to five mornings a week.
With the unexpected closure of the Moose Lodge last month, these players have been forced to turn to the Thunder Bay Pickleball Club’s alternative facilities, resulting in overcrowding. “Our sessions really get overloaded at that point,” Krawczuk said. “We were not spaced out to accommodate that. Our response is that we have secured a new venue, hopefully starting next week.”
A New Home at Lakehead University
Krawczuk confirmed that the club is in the final stages of securing the gym at the former Port Arthur Collegiate Institute (PACI), now home to Lakehead University’s law faculty, as a new venue. This new location offers the space needed to accommodate the growing number of pickleball players looking for a place to play.
While some hope the Moose Lodge will reopen soon, Krawczuk is skeptical. “In my opinion, the reality is that, on behalf of our members, we cannot have an ongoing situation where their continued ability to play is beholden to an organization that in this case isn’t even Canadian,” Krawczuk said. “They can shut down the facility with zero days notice and no reason given, leaving no clarity for almost a month.”
Krawczuk remains optimistic about the new facility at PACI. “It’s a pretty great facility that we hadn’t investigated in the past due to cost. But at this point, we need to provide a workable venue for our members on a timely basis that will give them enough hours in the right part of the day to play as they want to.”
News in Brief: Thunder Bay Pickleball Club Bounces Back
The Thunder Bay Pickleball Club is finalizing arrangements to relocate its sessions to the gym at Lakehead University’s law school after the closure of the Moose Lodge. The closure of the Moose Lodge has caused significant disruptions to pickleball players who used the facility regularly. With overcrowding at alternative venues, the club is optimistic about the new gym providing sufficient space for its members.
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