Municipal Pickleball Strategy

Building Sustainable Hubs for Canada’s Fastest-Growing Sport

Why Pickleball Matters

Pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in Canada, attracting players across every demographic — from children to active seniors. Demand has outpaced supply in almost every municipality. Lack of indoor courts, limited outdoor courts are full, wait times are long, and community centres are stretched. Without a coordinated strategy, growth risks being unorganized, inequitable, and unsustainable.

Municipalities that have acted early are already reaping the benefits: healthier residents, vibrant hubs of social activity, and facilities that operate at high utilization with strong cost recovery.

The Case for Pickleball Hubs

Studies from cities across Canada — including Newmarket, Calgary, Halifax, and Vancouver — all highlight the same conclusion:

• Small, scattered courts are not enough.

• The most successful models are population-dependent, dedicated pickleball hubs with 8–20+ courts in strategic locations.

• Hubs allow for flexible programming (open play, leagues, lessons, greater access, and reduced wait times) while maximizing efficiency and minimizing conflicts with competing activities such as tennis.

Key Benefits of Hubs:

• Support large-scale community play without long wait times.

• Create efficiencies in operations (maintenance, staffing, programming).

• Enable tournament hosting and economic spin-off benefits.

• Establish clear “homes” for pickleball clubs to partner with municipalities to grow the game and accommodate those who will soon discover the fastest-growing game, only to find they have to join a waiting list.

Working With User Groups and Clubs

The strongest strategies are not built in isolation — they are built with the community.

• Primary User Groups (active daily players) provide valuable feedback on scheduling, rotation models, and usage patterns.

• Local Clubs are essential partners in programming: they run leagues, lessons, and events that the municipality does not have capacity to deliver.

• Municipality + Club Partnerships ensure a balance of access, affordability, and sustainability. Municipalities provide the infrastructure, while clubs create programming that keeps players engaged and courts busy.

This collaborative model has already proven effective in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, where clubs act as delivery partners rather than competitors.

A Hybrid Access Model

Across Canada, the most effective approach is a hybrid model that balances open community access with structured programming:

• Dedicated community hours: Free or low-cost open play to keep pickleball inclusive.

• Structured club hours: Leagues, ladders, lessons, and events run in partnership with recognized clubs.

• Resident-first policies: Ensure that local taxpayers have fair access to facilities while still welcoming players from surrounding municipalities.

• Cost recovery: Tiered fee structures (resident vs. non-resident, member vs. non-member) ensure long-term financial sustainability.

The Strategic Opportunity

Without a plan, municipalities risk falling behind, leaving residents frustrated and clubs without proper facilities. With a clear, evidence-based strategy, you can:

• Deliver the right number of courts in the right hub format.

• Build a sustainable cost-recovery model.

• Strengthen community health, recreation, and social connection.

• Position your city as a regional leader in a sport that will only continue to grow. See our "Newmarket - Getting it Right" report

Our Experience

Pickleball Partners has worked with some of the largest networks and clubs in Canada. We understand both the municipal perspective and the operational realities of running busy courts. With years of experience in facility management, program planning, and player engagement, we provide:

• Evidence-based models drawn from strategies across Canada.

• Proven hybrid pricing and scheduling systems.

• Partnership frameworks that align municipalities and clubs.

• Implementation roadmaps that avoid the pitfalls other cities have faced.

Closing Statement

Pickleball is not a passing trend — it’s a permanent fixture in Canadian recreation. The question is not whether municipalities should build, but how to build smart. By creating dedicated hubs, engaging with primary user groups, and working alongside local clubs, municipalities can ensure that pickleball is a sustainable, inclusive, and celebrated community asset for decades to come.

Design the Right Model for Your Facility

Book a discovery call. In 30 minutes, we’ll map your goals, constraints, and next steps to the right hybrid model — public or private.