Re: 'Qualicum Beach club wants tennis court converted for pickleball play' (www.pqbnews.com, Sept. 14)
The courts across from the Qualicum Beach Legion are community courts, similar to community fields where numerous sports are played.
It’s ridiculous, that in the summer months the outdoor courts were often empty, while less than 200 metres away there were 12 to 16 pickleball players playing indoors at the curling club, because there are no outdoor pickleball courts suitable for club play.
We encourage the Town of Qualicum Beach to look after all of its citizens equally, not a chosen few.
Our children and grandchildren play on surfaces with multiple lines with no issues. Our minds are amazing! Yes, the first game played with multiple lines can be confusing but, after a game or two, our minds pick up on the chosen colour only.
The Qualicum Beach Pickleball Club have stated they will pay the roughly $3,000 to paint the additional lines out of their own funds, it's an inexpensive and quick solution that can be done during the scheduled resurfacing and painting of the current court. The first court would always be available to tennis, because there are no pickleball lines, the rest of the courts and times can be shared the same as our fields.
However, the QBPC has also stated that if the town wants to go with reconfiguring the courts by adding 13feet to the east and putting in four permanent pickleball courts and two permanent tennis courts (separated by fencing) the QBPC can then go after funding of the additional $45,000 to $50,000 provided it’s done during scheduled resurfacing.
Note, most funding opportunities require a specific site and local approval before they will approve any funding. With town approval, that solution would be more satisfactory to both sports and provide tournament-quality courts. The entire community would benefit because tournaments attract spending.
Carl Murphy
Qualicum Beach
