L-R: 

MPP Elect Andrew Dowie, Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti, Stephanie Zekelman, Mayor Gary McNamara, Councillor Ricardo (Rico) Tonial, Councillor Brian Houston, Councillor Bill Altenhof

For Immediate Release

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Zekelman Pickleball Courts Officially Open

The Town of Tecumseh is excited to partner with the Tecumseh Pickleball Association (TPA) to announce the grand opening of the new, ten-court Zekelman Pickleball Courts at Lacasse Park.

“This is a great day for our sports-loving community,” said Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara. “These new courts are the result of many years of hard work by the community, as well as the support of a number of sponsors, and they are a testament to the idea that when we all work together, great things can happen. I want to extend my congratulations to the Tecumseh Pickleball Association for the dedication that they have shown over the years, culminating in today’s grand opening and a special thank you to the Barry and Stephanie Zekelman Foundation.”

Today’s grand opening event featured two introductory sessions to pickleball, as well as a pickleball game between member of Town Council and members of the Tecumseh Business Improvement Association.

Membership in the Tecumseh Pickleball Association grew from 90 in 2019 to 280 in 2021. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in Ontario and North America.  It is a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The game is played on a badminton size court with a wiffle ball, about the size of a tennis ball. A survey completed in 2020 and again in 2022 by Pickleball Canada indicates a near tripling of the number of pickleball players to one million individuals in Canada in the past 2 years.

“Besides having a strong team, the success of Tecumseh Pickleball lies in teaching new payers, offering organized daily play, boot camps, drills and running fun tournaments. Pickleball is not attracting younger, working adults as new facilities, like the Zekelman complex, become available in the evenings and weekends. It’s getting difficult to keep up with the number of requests to learn how to play” said Melinda Hebert, Tecumseh Pickleball Association. “We are so grateful to the Town of Tecumseh for our partnership and getting these courts open. Our community has truly embraced pickleball!”

Individuals may purchase a Recreational Pickleball Seasonal Membership for $27.00 plus tax by logging in on TecumsehRec.ca or by calling the Tecumseh Community & Recreation Services Office at 519-735-4756. Members will receive a key that allows the member (+1 guest opponent) access to the courts. Keys will be available for pick-up during office hours.

For more information on pickleball in Tecumseh, including classes and opening hours for the new courts, visit: www.tecumsehpickleball.ca

Find more information about this and other Tecumseh news and events on the Town’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.

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