As it voted to explore constructing new pickleball courts elsewhere in the district, North Saanich council on Monday continued to get flack for shutting down its existing spot for the sport.
Council had been weighing how to deal with pickleball noise for several years before it ordered the $120,000 Wain Park courts to close in early May.
A split council on Monday (Aug. 12) supported Mayor Peter Jones' motion to consider relocating pickleball from the Wain courts to one section of Blue Heron Park.
However, it was another motion that drew ire of pickleball supporters in the council chambers. A motion put forth by Coun. Jack McClintock sought to have staff quickly come back to council with a report detailing cost estimates and the earliest possible date for installing noise-mitigating panels at the Wain courts.
Only Coun. Celia Stock joined McClintock in supporting that proposal. As the four other council members who were present raised their hands in opposition to the motion, members of the public watching the meeting jeered in disappointment, with one loudly saying "shame on you" as another could be heard calling the mayor a "bastard."
In presentations to council at the start of the meeting, around 10 people spoke in favour of pickleball, with most calling for the Wain Park courts to be reopened. Similar pleas were made in most of the letters on the court closure that council got from around 30 people ahead of Monday's meeting.
"To relocate the Wain Road pickleball court would be a gross error," McClintock said before the vote on Jones' motion.
The mayor clarified that his motion referred to considering moving the game of pickleball elsewhere. Members of the public audibly reacted when he explained that the Wain Road courts would be repurposed for another sport if pickleball were to move.
A second part of Jones' motion garnered unanimous support from council. That section directs staff to conduct a study on building six new pickleball courts at Blue Heron Park. That study will include construction cost estimates, the location and price of adding parking for the courts and options for adding sound mitigation infrastructure.
Several people who spoke or wrote to council said it would cost much less to add noise-dampening features to the existing pickleball courts rather than build entirely new courts at another park. The pickleball proponents said the game is enjoyed by all ages, boosts the physical and mental health of residents and helps build community.
One speaker who called the Wain court noise horrendous applauded council for shutting it down as he claimed the entire park has seen more usage since May. Pickleballers in attendance also voiced their disapproval after the same speaker said the game leads to players talking back and forth very loudly.
