Covered Facilty May Be Solution

Pickleball continues to be a growing activity in Vernon — and the participants continue to push for more courts.

Vernon councillor Juliette Cunningham says the regional district is prepared to provide a site in Marshall Fields, but there’s already been complaints about the noise.

“We’ve already had a few people that are concerned out in the Landing who live next to Marshall Fields,” Cunningham tells Kiss FM.

She says a covered facility may be the solution.

“Some of the discussion has been, if you’re going to spend and borrow $500,000, why wouldn’t we just cover it, so we can start to address the issues of the noise.”

Cunningham says noise will be an issue an any neighborhood where pickleball is played.

Cunningham says the options will be discussed by the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee at its meeting May 4.

The Vernon Pickleball Association has requested a site for dedicated courts, plus $500,000 for the facility, which it says it would match.

The group currently has over 300 members, and plays at Sawicki Park and the Mount Ida courts, but does get complaints about the noise.

The city will look into cleaning the tree debris off MacDonald Park, which is another option.

Recreation Services Director Doug Ross says an idea to use the Vernon Curling Club drew club concerns of the floor being too slippery, and that members would prefer to play outdoors in the spring and summer.