Cochrane pickleball players are happy paddlers this week, on the heels of a provincial grant win that will fund dedicated courts for the growing recreational group. Banff-Cochrane NDP MLA Cam Westhead met with representatives of the Cochrane Pickleball Posse on May 4 to deliver $124,669 to the Cochrane Settlement Community Association (CSCA), which will allow the East Enders and pickleball players to move ahead with the build of six dedicated pickleball courts. "This will get our courts built ... our group started with 30 or 40 members and now we are close to 200," said posse member Les Frank, who was joined by wife, Nikki, posse spokesperson Joanne Ferster and CSCA president, Igor Visser, to accept the Community Facilities Enhancement Program grant (CFEP). Les added that by next year, the posse anticipates substantial club growth - once the sport, which is a low-impact paddle sport likened to a cross between tennis and ping pong, is introduced into Cochrane and area schools. Pickleball enthusiasts maintain that the sport causes less impact on the wrists and joints than tennis or badminton, making it inclusive for all levels of physicality. Gerry Murphy, senior manager of parks and open spaces for the town, confirmed that the town will use $175,000 from parks reserve funds to resurface the existing tennis courts in the East End's Quigley Park and the ones in Glenbow's William Camden Park. These courts will be multi-purpose spaces to accommodate tennis, badminton and pickleballers. Murphy said the site in between the East End tennis courts and Frank Wills Memorial Hall has been flagged as the preferred site to build the dedicated pickleball courts, slated to be undertaken this year. The budget for this project is $250,000 - half funded from the CFEP grant and matched by the town through a recently delivered $125,000 in parks and spaces levy dollars. Ferster said that should the posse want the "little extras" such as court divider or wind fencing, that they will look to the community and members to help fundraise for these additional amenities to their club. Visser said the CSCA has "been wanting to resurface the tennis courts for years" and they are pleased the town will be moving ahead this season. The CFEP grants are given out three times yearly to be used to build, buy renovate or upgrade public use facilities. The next application deadline is Sept 15. Learn more at alberta.ca.
