Dear Editor,
I read recently in the news that 11 new dedicated pickleball courts are nearing completion at the Langley Events Centre. That is great news for Langley residents but disconcerting to me as a Richmond resident and avid pickleball player.
A quick check shows that Langley already has three public outdoor pickleball facilities of three, six, and eight dedicated courts. There are many more courts that are shared with tennis. And now with the new facility almost ready, the total will be 28 outdoor dedicated courts.
Langley has a population of about 200,000 residents. Richmond has about 220,000. We are sitting at only nine dedicated courts at two facilities: South Arm Park and Hugh Boyd Park.
Recently it was announced that four additional courts would be built this year at South Arm at a cost of $800,000. The completion has apparently been delayed until some time in 2026.
Our existing courts were built in 2020. That means that Richmond will get only four more public pickleball courts in six years. And no more courts planned beyond that in the foreseeable future.
Richmond is woefully behind in providing adequate pickleball courts to the large and growing number of players in the city. The statistics on the number of courts available in our neighbouring municipalities prove that. For example, Delta, with a population of just over half of Richmond's, has 21 dedicated courts and about the same number of non-regulation courts.
New facilities are popping up all around us, at a cost of much less than $800,000 for four courts.
Why is it so difficult to get more courts in Richmond compared to other municipalities?
My wife and I are regular users of the courts at South Arm. It has gotten so busy there that sometimes we have to wait 20 to 30 minutes between games. It gets worse as more people pick up the game, especially through the summer.
This is extremely frustrating not only to us, but to all of our fellow pickleball players.
It seems that our current council does not recognize the phenomenon of pickleball as perhaps the fastest growing sport, certainly in North America, if not the world.
Much has been written about the benefits of playing pickleball, not only physically and mentally, but also socially. It has brought people of all ages and abilities together. It's a unique sport that way.
These benefits should be fostered by our city council. That pays dividends in the long term.
It is a responsibility of city council to recognize the needs of all Richmond residents and to provide adequate pickleball courts for the exploding number of players in this city within a reasonable timeline.
Other municipalities are doing it. Why not us?
Douglas Ng
Richmond
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