Sheldon Rowe, Executive Director of the Pickleball Court board, and Lindi Speager, President of the Grande Prairie Pickleball Club, accept the cheque for a $15,000 grant from United Way Alberta Northwest (photo by Liam Verster)

By Liam Verster

Pickleball Courts nearly ready

United Way grant helping GP Pickleball Club finish construction of courts

Aug 4, 2020 | 2:26 PM

The Grande Prairie Pickleball Club has received a $15,000 grant from the United Way, to help fund the construction of 12 pickleball courts at the GP Composite High School.

These 10 permanent and two temporary courts are the first outdoor pickleball courts in Grande Prairie.

Jamie Craig, the Executive Director of United Way Alberta North West, says the money comes from $435,000 allocated from the Federal Government to support community groups and organizations in the region through the Emergency Community Support Fund.

“With that fund, we’re trying to allocate funds to organizations, community groups that are looking for funding in regards to COVID-19. So, this specifically is for the seniors in the region who are looking for some social distancing physical activity.

“I guess pickleball is the hot topic right now, so we really wanted to help them out and we partnered with the City of Grande Prairie on that one, in order to ensure that we were able to allocate $15,000 to the club.”

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Craig adds that, though the club will be open to the public, the funding is intended to give seniors a safe space to use right now.

“We think it’s important for people to get physical activity, and it’s good for your mental health all around, and that’s kind of what United Way’s all about.”

The money has to go directly to the City first, as they are a qualified donee, who will then send the money back to the club in about a week’s time.

Lindi Speager, President of the Grande Prairie Pickleball Club, says the City has been involved in the process of converting the old tennis courts next to the high school since the beginning, and has been jointly funding the operation.

“The majority of the money came from the City of Grande Prairie, they decided that we needed the facility and they were very good. And then our club has raised the rest, and now, a bonus, the United Way has given us some for seniors sports.”

She says once the courts are ready, the club will work with the Grande Prairie Tennis Club, as well as the Red Deer Pickleball Club, to determine how to work around the COVID-19 guidelines and ensure everyone’s health and safety.

The courts will also be open to the public, and Speager says they are working on a User Agreement with the City right now, to arrange for some club time to be scheduled, as well as open times for the public to come and play pickleball.

Doug Speager, who’s an executive on the Pickleball Court board, says the courts are nearly ready, and this money will help them complete the work.

“I think this money will pretty much cover the fencing, the mesh that comes [in between the courts], it will pretty much cover all of that. We’ve been kind of overextending ourselves to get this project done. The thing is everything is kind of dependent on each other, so this is a real boon to get this at this time. But that’ll finish up, we’ll get the fencing done in here now, and hopefully we’re going to get a main door [on the east side of the courts].”

The Club will then have to set up the nets on the courts, and they also plan to build a shed to use as storage over the winter months, as well as windscreens around the outside fences.

Hayley Cramps, Recreation Programming and Events Supervisor, says the City has been strategizing how to help seniors stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the normal programs they offer cannot run right now.

“For example the seniors have the Seniors Swim and the Seniors Table at Eastlink Centre, but that is not an option right now. This is a beautiful outdoor court that allows for social distancing, and there’s more room for seniors to come and join and be part of the club that previously weren’t part of the club, so it is a great opportunity. The City is really proud to be a part of it.”

The Club hopes to have the courts complete, and ready to open for August 22, 2020.

The Pickleball Club is currently an adult only group, mainly consisting of seniors, but there are plans to expand and create children’s groups and lessons once the COVID-19 regulations start to relax.

Anyone interested in joining the group can email gppickleball@gmail.com, or visit the Grande Prairie Pickleball Club Facebook page.