Pickleball court pilot project coming to Beacon Hill Park

A pickleball court is shown in Nanaimo, B.C., in May 2020. (CTV News)

After making a racket, Victoria’s pickleball community is smiling after getting some good news about new court space on Wednesday.

The city says it is launching a pilot project in Beacon Hill Park that would see two dedicated pickleball courts installed in the Arbutus Way parking lot near Goodacre Lake.

The space has been closed to vehicle traffic since the beginning of the pandemic and is currently vacant.

The city banned pickleball play in James Bay’s Todd Park due to noise complaints from neighbours.

The move prompted an outcry from players, and they protested outside City Hall by setting up pickleball nets and playing until they could meet with councillors or city staff.

Currently, there are no dedicated courts within the city limits for the popular sport, leading to shared space with the tennis community.

The announcement is welcome news to the Victoria Regional Pickleball Association.

“All of us are very excited to play in Beacon Hill Park, which is just one of our jewels here in Victoria,” says Connie McCann, the association’s president.

McCann hopes the city can create three courts for the pilot project, which is set to begin in May.

The location is ideal, she says, because there is no one living right next door to where they will be playing.

“I would be surprised to hear noise complaints, because there are no neighbours and there’s beautiful trees to deaden the sound.”

The association is pushing to have more dedicated courts built in the municipality.

The City of Victoria plans to build at least six pickleball courts at Topaz Park during its next phase of improvements. The hope is that construction will begin in 2023 after the design of the project has been completed.

The Beacon Hill pilot project is set to get underway within the next few weeks if weather is favorable.

The cost will be covered within the existing operating budget and will include surface preparation of the parking lot, painting of pickle ball court lines and temporary fencing.

Players will have to walk or bike to the new location in Beacon Hill Park to play on the new pickleball court as there is no through traffic to the area for the foreseeable future.

McCann isn’t sure how long the pilot project will run, but hopes the courts will eventually be made a permanent fixture in the park.