North Saanich council meetings have become a stage for chaotic debates, hasty motions, and questionable decisions. The latest development is a prime example of this troubling trend.
With only a couple of weeks to propose alternative uses for the Wain Park pickleball courts, staff presented a half-baked plan with minimal research. No feasibility study, no in-depth analysis – just a $10,000 estimate and a random list of ideas: a kids' cycling area, outdoor checker and chess tables, space for fitness/yoga classes, and a few other concepts. Worse, there was no consultation with the neighbours, who had already raised concerns about the lack of input before the pickleball courts were built in 2017, and the noise – which seems to be more about players socializing and parking lot chatter, than the game itself.
Despite Coun. Jack McClintock's sensible call to resolve a matter that has divided the community and Coun. Phil DiBattista's practical approach to wait for the Saanich Peninsula Facility Needs Assessment (due in two months), the mayor and three councillors shut down any further discussion and pushed ahead with a plan to install picnic tables and basketball hoops where four pickleball courts are currently located.
A few picnic tables on an asphalt surface in a fenced area, even with a “surface that dissipates heat” as suggested by Mayor Peter Jones, alongside basketball players bouncing balls nearby?
Spending is likely to be significantly higher than the estimated $10,000, requiring the use of the district’s reserve fund for the picnic/basketball area.
Picnic tables are a great idea and much needed in the park – but they should be placed on a grassy area, with a few native trees for shade. Let's connect with nature, not asphalt.
A basketball area? Absolutely. But improve the existing facility, which is in poor condition, using the funds the district has in its reserve.
As for the noise concerns, it's unlikely neighbours will be satisfied. There will still be noise from families picnicking, people playing, cars parking, and basketballs bouncing – possibly more disruptive than the pickleball games themselves.
It’s time to end this circus and bring back common sense and responsible governance. As Coun. McClintock aptly put it, we need to "make a former wrong, right." Let’s focus on sound mitigation and reopen the Wain Park pickleball courts.
Sophie Lauro
North Saanich
