City’s first dedicated, multi-court pickleball facility coming to East Toronto this fall
By MATTHEW STEPHENS
A park near the waterfront in the Beach is set to become home to Toronto’s first purpose-built pickleball courts, with an 11-court facility designed for enthusiasts of North America’s fastest-growing sport.
The non-profit East Toronto Pickleball Association (ETPA), which represents a large group of players in the East Toronto area, has been actively advocating for dedicated courts for the past three years.
“The demand for pickleball way exceeds the number of places to play in East Toronto,” said Mary Beth Denomy, chair of the ETPA. “Currently there are two dedicated pickleball courts in East Toronto and none in the Beaches. This exciting new 11-court venue will be a game-changer.”
Most players bring their own nets and play on outdoor hockey rinks or dry pads with painted court lines. Concrete courts are hard on players’ joints, and flooded rinks often make play impossible. Denomy calls these “band-aid” solutions and says pickleball enthusiasts are excited about the new public multi-court facility.
The facility is expected to open in September in the city green space off Emdaabiimok Avenue — north of Lake Shore Boulevard East and south of Eastern Avenue — within the parkland that’s home to Tubs & Gee Gage Rugby Field, Beach Skateboard Park and several basketball courts. These existing facilities will not be affected.
This new facility is a collaborative effort between the ETPA, Toronto Parks & Recreation, Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher and Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford.
Fletcher said in a statement on her website that she was “very happy to have worked with the ETPA to create more local, affordable opportunities to play this fun, growing sport.”
Bradford said his office spent two years working with the ETPA to find a suitable location, noting the effort drew support from more than 1,000 petition signers calling for dedicated courts. He emphasized the persistent community work that made the project a reality.
“The project has strong support from the Beach BIA, nearby schools, and accessibility leaders like Variety Village and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. I’m especially grateful to the East Toronto Pickleball Association for their tireless advocacy. It’s fantastic to see this site moving ahead, and even better knowing thousands will get to enjoy it,” Bradford said.
The facility will include two wheelchair-accessible courts, fencing, bleachers, shaded seating, acrylic playing surfaces, lighting and other amenities designed to enhance the player and spectator experience.
The courts will be open to the public. They have also been designed to host tournaments so the influx of players will support the restaurants and small businesses along Queen St. East.
Despite its quirky name, pickleball is a serious and competitive sport with more than 50 years of heritage. Invented in the United States in 1965, pickleball is played on a court half the size of a tennis court with a lower net, using lightweight paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
In Canada, the sport has been rising in popularity since Pickleball Canada and Pickleball Ontario began promoting the sport in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Pickleball’s popularity surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people looked for new ways to stay active while social distancing. Its low barrier to entry and social nature have made it a hit with players of all ages and skill levels.
Over the past three years, the sport has seen an estimated 57 per cent increase in participation, according to Pickleball Canada.
Across the country, more than 1.37 million individual Canadians play pickleball at least once per month, and more than half play four or more times per month.
Ontario has the highest number of pickleball players in the country, with an estimated 598,900 participants playing — mostly during summer months due to increased spaces to play.
