Pickleball is experiencing a rapid surge in popularity throughout Canada and now boasts a monthly player base exceeding 1.3 million. In response to this escalating demand, Fairgrounds Public Racket Club, in collaboration with QuadReal Property Group, has announced it is poised to unveil additional venues in the Toronto area.
Toronto
The inaugural venue, situated in Etobicoke, will debut this month, and will feature nine pickleball courts. Shortly thereafter, they will introduce another facility in Vaughan.
Two New Locations
Fairgrounds, the city’s latest racquet club, will open its doors at Etobicoke’s Cloverdale Mall on February 16, followed by the second location at Assembly Park in Vaughan a few weeks later. Notably, these venues will offer more than just pickleball.
This expansion aligns with QuadReal Property Group’s redevelopment initiative for Cloverdale Mall, aiming to rejuvenate the city’s oldest mall into a forward-looking community hub.
Free Membership
The Cloverdale Club will house nine pickleball courts accessible to the public of all age groups, with membership being free of charge.
“The whole idea is to make pickleball more accessible to more people and keep up with the growing demand across the country,” says Fairgrounds co-founder Drummond Munro.
The club experience extends beyond the final match. It will feature a restaurant and bar, providing an opportunity to socialize over drinks and food, fostering camaraderie beyond the game.
Alongside pickleball, the club will include a padel court, inviting enthusiasts to explore this sport.
Making Racket Sports More Affordable
While an official opening date for the Vaughan club remains unconfirmed, the Fairgrounds establishment at Cloverdale Mall will officially open on February 17, with additional locations slated for 2024.
These clubs are designed to make racket sports more affordable to the general public by removing traditional barriers like exclusive memberships and steep fees. Instead, they offer play on an hourly basis without membership dues.
To mark the occasion, a free-to-play weekend will be hosted at Cloverdale from February 17th to 19th. The event will feature entertaining activities, coaching sessions, and music by the resident DJ from Fairgrounds, with court reservations available online.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Meanwhile, in Saskatoon, about 200 miles north of Canada’s border with Montana, Les Esteban and Yenny Lam have opened Topzpin Hitlabs in December.
Premium Pickleball Experience
The 16,900 square foot indoor racket and paddle center offers a premium pickleball experience, table tennis, and a tennis simulator that is the first of its kind in Canada in the Kelsey Woodlawn area of Saskatoon.
Les and Yammy told the StarPhoenix, “We have four pickleball courts with premium flooring.
“The Topzpin surface is a Laykold, which has been tried and tested for decades around the world. It is the chosen court surface for the US Open as well as many other World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour events.
We find that when people play pickleball they’re normally playing in gyms or churches or in multi-use facilities. There can be many lines; the surface can be slippery, and it could be meant for basketball, whereas this surface is meant for pickleball, so it’s safer.”
Free Pickleball Equipment Rental
They also talked about how the club will help players out without equipment: “If you don’t have a pickleball and paddles or table tennis paddles, they are here. Lots of places may charge a rental fee. We don’t. It’s all for free.
“We try to remove all those barriers to play. We just want to make sure that if you want to try it, come on in and you don’t have to buy stuff.”
“You don’t have to be a member to come. Membership allows you 24/7 access and reduced rates and free time. Membership gives high users a better value. We have three different membership levels depending on how much time you want to commit and how much you want to play.
An executive membership will give you two hours free every week and from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m., it’s free. You can use it as much as you want during those hours.”
