Chatham-Kent's (CK) largest pickleball court is officially open to the public.
It's part of the second phase of the St. Clair College Community Park project, located on Bear Line Road in Chatham. A grand opening was held on Friday, with municipal officials, representatives from St. Clair College, and several pickleball players taking part.
The park now features 10 separate pickleball courts, five times larger than any other outdoor court in CK.
"This is a beautiful facility with beautiful court surfaces," said Ann Balkwill, a board member with the CK Pickleball Club.
She believes the facility will be the top spot to play pickleball in CK.
"Having 10 different courts allows for a lot of different things like tournaments [and] large-scale events," added Balkwill.
She also expects the facility will help draw up interest in the sport, as there are now ample spots for people to play across the municipality.
One of the many municipal employees who took part in the grand opening ceremony was Michael Duben, CK's Chief Administrative Officer.
He told CK News Today the entire park is something they'd like to see happen in other communities.
"Size might depend on population, but this whole idea of having community spaces for people to enjoy, I think you're going to see more of that," added Duben.
He went on to mention that many of the costs for the project were covered by other organizations. The land was donated to the municipality by St. Clair College, much of the cost for equipment was covered by Hydro One funding, while Tennis Canada and Rogers helped pay for the tennis dome, which was part of phase one of the park.
The pickleball courts weren't the only part of the park built during phase two of the project. Basketball courts, walking paths, two washrooms buildings, and a playground area are also open to the public.
The third and final phase of the project will see the park add a field for soccer and rugby, a cricket pitch, and multiple pathways. These are expected to be unveiled sometime in 2027.
