Pickleball expected to revitalize old tennis courts

The Evangeline region of P.E.I. is repurposing some old tennis courts for pickleball players.

The new courts will be behind Evangeline School.

Nick Arsenault, executive director of the Evangeline School and Community Council, said pickleball has grown in popularity over the last few years, and repurposing the old courts is an opportunity to give the community a recreational space that everyone can use.

Pickleball explained

11 years ago

Duration 2:03

Pickleball aficianado Garth Matthews demonstrates the finer points of a racquet sport becoming popular in eastern P.E.I.

"It's a fun sport that pretty much any age can play. It's fun to play doubles, it's social, you switch up the teams as you go," said Arsenault.

"It's light in that sense but yet it's a good workout and, I don't know, there's something about it that makes it fun. So I guess I think it's something that's going to gain more and more interest as we move along."

Part of the funding for the project came from a $25,000 grant from go!PEI, a joint government initiative promoting healthy living.

Arsenault said the courts are expected to be completed by August. They will be used for a pickleball tournament when P.E.I. hosts the Acadian Seniors Games in September.

More P.E.I. news