An indoor pickleball court could be coming to Niagara-on-the-Lake, if Joy Sanguedolce and her fellow pickleball players have their way.
Sanguedolce, a board member of the NOTL Pickleball Club, shared the proposal with the town’s committee of the whole on Tuesday, joined by other members of the club’s board. She said the group hopes the facility can be built near the NOTL Community Centre or another suitable location.
The club wants to create a space where residents and visitors can play year-round.
“The town would initiate the build, and we would become tenants,” said Sanguedolce.
Currently, the club runs indoor games at the NOTL Community Centre and Central Niagara, and outdoor games at Virgil Sports Park and the Niagara Falls Bubble. Sanguedolce described this setup as “fragmented and limited,” and said a centralized indoor facility would allow for more consistent play.
The NOTL Pickleball Club, a non-profit since 2017, has 570 members — 53 per cent of them women and 75 per cent between the ages of 56 and 75.
“However, it is aging down. We’re seeing a lot of young people join the sport,” said Sanguedolce.
The club peaked at 740 members last year but capped registration to make sure current members had regular playing opportunities.
“We could be at 1,000 members,” she said.
Noise complaints have previously been a concern for pickleball in the area. In 2022, the town settled a lawsuit filed by a NOTL resident who lived next to the Virgil Sports Park over noise from a local court. Sanguedolce said an indoor facility would eliminate that issue.
During her presentation, Sanguedolce noted that 47 per cent of club members live in NOTL, while the rest come from 28 other towns and cities. Coun. Sandra O’Connor questioned how much of the proposed facility would benefit the local community, given the number of out-of-town members.
“We didn’t want to exclude anyone,” Sanguedolce said. “They’re contributing to our community when they’re here.”
When asked by Coun. Gary Burroughs about the cost of the facility, Sanguedolce declined to give a figure publicly, saying she would prefer to discuss it “offline.”
She told O’Connor that, if the facility is built, the club would aim to consolidate its current rental costs and direct that payment to the town.
Sanguedolce said the club’s idea aligns with the town’s priorities around recreation.
“We believe this is a win-win, enhancing community well-being while supporting the town’s vision for inclusive year-round recreation,” she said.
Pickleball is one of Canada’s fastest-growing sports, with 1.54 million players across the country, Sanguedolce said. Created in Washington State in the 1960s, it has since gained international popularity.
The sport is played on a 20-by-44-foot court, using wooden paddles and a wiffle ball, and can be played in singles or doubles formats.
