Times-Chronicle Staff
Spring has sprung, and so has Oliver’s new Sport Court development project.
Work began on March 21, expanding the tennis and pickleball courts in Community Park.
The project will add a new asphalt surface area at the east end of the current tennis courts to house four new pickleball courts. It will also repair and resurface the existing tennis courts and install new perimeter fencing and gates.
Parks and Recreation manager Carol Sheridan said the desired outcome is to increase available court space, improve safety, and encourage more people of all ages to be outside and active. This project will also increase opportunities for the social participation and inclusion of seniors and low-income members of the community, she added.
Oliver Parks and Recreation was successful in its application to the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative program for funding in the amount of $42,567.
A committed group of court users led by local sports enthusiast Janet Shaw formed a fundraising committee in the early stages of the project. Through a sponsorship banner drive and personal donations, the funds raised to date total nearly $40,000. The total cost of the project is estimated at $140,000.
The court facility will be closed from Sunday, April 4 until project completion, which is estimated for early to mid-June. Sheridan said they are asking for patience from all court users to refrain from entering the facility during this time to ensure safety.
She noted the basketball court and net adjacent to the courts will be permanently removed to allow for the pickleball court expansion. While there are several outdoor basketball nets at local schools, recreation staff are investigating the feasibility of a future basketball court in Community Park.
