Callander’s pickleball club asked for lines, and lines they shall receive, council declared.
“It’s a great idea,” Councillor Grant McMartin said, “it’s nice to have that facility open for different sports.”
Indeed, pickleball is so popular in Callander that the club is outgrowing their space at the Community Centre. There are no outdoor courts, and with the nice weather approaching, local pickleballers thought it a fine idea to play within the cool shade of the Bill Barber Rink.
Dave Cross, of the pickleball club, asked council if it was possible to paint some court lines on the concrete surface. By the club’s estimate, they could fit five courts on the new concrete slab – plenty of pickleball to go around.
See: Callander pickleballers request Bill Barber Rink courts
Council wanted to think on it, but recently decided to go ahead with the court lines. And then some. They are looking to find ways to incorporate other sporting lines on the surface, such as roller derby – the Bombshell Bobbers practice there – ball hockey and perhaps shuffleboard.
The plan now is to develop a design for these lines, which will return to council for its approval. Council noted the cost must not go higher than $1,000 for the work, which will come from the current year’s operating budget.
See: Roller skating returns to Callander this Saturday
Encouraging more sports at the rink is all part of the Callander Parks and Recreation Master Plan. In part, the plan details how the rink’s purpose is “to offer sheltered outdoor recreational programming opportunities in all seasons.”
That was a big motivating factor to install the new concrete pad. The asphalt was curved, and although the curve was hidden under ice, when you used it in summer, the feature was apparent. The concrete slab is smooth and flat.
Once those design plans are approved, the painting is estimated to cost around $7,200, staff explained. This will include four pickleball courts. For the roller derby lines, staff estimate an additional $2,700. The idea is to paint the lines in neutral colours so as not to appear too garish.
As the days cool, and thoughts turn to hockey and skating, those lines won’t be visible through the ice. The ice will be white. First, the town will freeze around a quarter inch of water, then paint the surface with white zinc powder paint. Once set, the ice making will continue.
The Municipality is also applying for a grant from the Inclusive Community Grant Program to if not cover, offset the expense.
“Its exactly what we’ve been striving to do,” Mayor Robb Noon said of the project, “especially this way, working with the people and the community who are using the facility. It’s a really good opportunity to do this.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
