New courts unveiled in Shelburne for tennis and pickleball

September 15, 2022 · 0 Comments

Written By Brian Lockhart

Shelburne residents who enjoy racquet sports won’t have to travel as far to play their sport with the recent opening of new courts at KTH Park.

The courts officially opened on Friday (Sept. 9), for public use and pickleball enthusiasts were out on them just moments after the new facility opened the gate to allow play.

This is a first for Shelburne. The town has never had a tennis facility and most residents had to travel to Orangeville or Alliston to get a few sets in. The courts serve a dual purpose. The lines on the court accommodate both tennis and pickleball.

Pickleball is a relatively new sport that has seen a lot of growth and interest over the past 10 years. It is played with solid paddles and a ‘wiffle’ type ball. It is very popular among older players as it provides good exercise and fun play but is less aggressive than tennis.

“The courts are for tennis and pickleball combined so we put both lines on the courts,” said Shelburne Mayor, Wade Mills. “This project started as part of the initial budget discussions that this council had back in 2019. We talked about a lot of different parks and rec investments and this was a key one.”

“With COVID, it got pushed back. A number of people during the last campaign said that one of things we could use in Shelburne, particularly for seniors, was a facility for tennis and pickleball. It was one of the things that was really lacking in terms of our parks, and something for seniors,” Mayor Mills added.

The new courts will be open from dusk to dawn. Initially the plan is to allow a ‘first come first on the courts’ type of arrangement. However, if popularity increases, there may be a moved to scheduling time on the courts if necessary.

The new courts had been planned for a while, but the actual construction happened very quickly as the area in the park was graded, asphalt laid, and fencing and nets installed in a very short period of time.

“A lot of these projects were discussed early on in this term of council, but because of COVID, they had to be pushed back,” Mayor Mills explained. “The money had already been set aside and allocated, and this year, finally, we could get contractors out and get people working on it.”

The new courts are a welcome addition to Shelburne’s recreation facilities and are expected to get a lot of use during the warm weather months.