Tennis players not 'oppressed' when community centre allowed pickleball: B.C. Supreme Court Judge

CTV News Vancouver, July 27th 2023: A group of Gulf Island tennis players who were forced to share the local courts with pickleballers were not "oppressed," a B.C. judge found while refusing to grant them exclusive use of the space. The battle over the tennis courts began two years ago, as the sport of pickleball was surging in popularity – including on Mayne Island, with its small community of around 1,100 residents. Read the full article here.

​CBC News also reported that the struggle over use of the two courts has created a rift in the small community, according to Adrian Gowing, MITA (Mayne Island Tennis Association) president and one of the people who filed the petition. The 21-square-kilometre Mayne Island is in B.C.'s Southern Gulf Islands, between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.  "You know, we're in our little village here. At times we get on the ferries to go places and and now you're sort of looking around going, 'Oh, I don't want to talk to that person, I don't want to talk to that person.' It's become quite uncomfortable," said Gowing. He said the court challenge may have contributed to the tension, but now that the judge has settled the matter, Gowing said he's worried the pickleball players will be emboldened.

The courts now revert back to the 21 hours for each of tennis and pickleball players. Read the full CBC story here.

The struggle over use of the tennis courts has created a rift in the small community, according one of the people who filed the petition, who says he worries the tennis courts could be turned into a pickleball facility permanently (bhpix/Shutterstock)

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