ST. PAUL - Back-to-back delegations by the St. Paul Pickleball Club and the St. Paul Tennis Club have put the ball in the Town of St. Paul's court, as the groups grapple to come to a consensus about use of the Kinsmen Park Tennis Courts.
Mayor Maureen Miller spoke briefly before the delegations began, saying council appreciates the input, passions and opinions of both sides.
Speaking first was Bob Deacon of the St. Paul Pickleball Club. He explained the pickleball club is wanting to develop the eastern half of the current tennis courts so they can be dedicated to pickleball.
"We're here to request your permission to develop one half," said Deacon. He spoke about how the sport of pickleball continues to rapidly grow across the country, and in St. Paul.
While conversations between the two clubs have taken place about the shared facility at Kinsmen Park, those discussions have come to a stalemate and the topic has now ended up with the Town.
The St. Paul Pickleball Club has "enjoyed steady growth," and now has over 140 current members, said Deacon. The average age of members is 59 years old, but younger members have started enjoying the sport also.
"We play 12 months of the year," said Deacon, explaining that in the spring, summer and fall months the club plays outdoors as long as possible, and in the winter months they rent gymnasium space at the francophone school division gym.
In the spring and fall, the club also provides instruction to students at St. Paul Regional High School, École du Sommet, and St. Paul Alternate Education Centre (SPAEC).
Deacon stated the club was not asking the Town for any funds, but has a savings of about $30,000 it can use for the proposed project. The club is, however, hoping the Town and County of St. Paul will be able to help the club apply for needed grants to support the initiative of creating a dedicated pickleball space.
Currently, the club uses the Kinsmen courts, setting up portable nets during dedicated times. Equipment is then stored nearby in a shed. The pickleball club has done some repair and maintenance work at the Kingsmen Courts, such as repairing the shed, locks and other items, and ensuring the porta-potty that is on site is used responsibly.
Deacon believes that developing half the court into a pickleball court would increase usage of the facility. The proposed plan would be to convert the eastern court into a dedicate pickleball facility. There would be permanent fencing installed and gates and lines would be redone in a dedicated pickleball format.
Speaking to the type of net that would be installed, Deacon noted that the club has been told that installing permanent nets could cause damage to the current surface that exists. So, semi-permanent nets have been recommended. The nets could be stored during the winter months, but would be too heavy to move regularly.
Tennis club speaks
The St. Paul Tennis Club, represented by Dave Shankowski and Mark Beaulieu, then took their turn to speak with Town council. Shankowski offered a brief history of the Kinsmen courts, stating the courts were built in the 1990s and supported by the Kinsmen Club that existed at the time.
Over the years, the Tennis Club has put significant work into the courts, specifically in about 2008 when a massive crack started to develop. An engineer was brought in to determine the best option, and the court was ultimately resurfaced. After all expenses were paid, Shankowski estimates it cost about $150,000 to fix the courts.
Since taking over maintenance of the courts, the Tennis Club has spent over $200,000 on the courts.
Around the year 2015, the pickleball club asked to use the tennis courts at Kinsmen Park, which the tennis club says it agreed to "wholeheartedly."
The clubs agreed that permanent lines would be needed on the Kinsmen courts to accommodate pickleball, which was done at no cost to the pickleball club, said Shankowski. The pickleball club has also never paid rent at the courts, because the tennis club believes the pickleball club provides a valuable service to the community.
The request to have half the courts permanently changed to pickleball courts was brought to the St. Paul Rec Board, but a decision on how to proceed was not made.
Shakowski says the tennis club wants the courts left as-is, and believes the pickleball club could purchase semi-permanent nets that could be rolled off when not in use, rather than installing more permanent features.
Offering more history, Shankowski noted that the tennis courts at the St. Paul Golf Course were built around the year 2000 using provincial grants, and thanks to the support of local municipalities and contractors.
"I call it a labour of love... my wife calls it the never-ending love," said Shankowski, speaking to the amount of work put into the Golf Course tennis courts. He noted that St. Paul has some of the best tennis and pickleball facilities in the province, when considering the size of the community.
"It has to do with a lot of hard work and commitment by a group of people that are very dedicated," said Shankowski.
The St. Paul Tennis Club has been providing a summer tennis program in the community for 29 years, and has also provided financial aid to other groups, such as the cross-country ski club and the St. Paul & District Food Bank. Surplus windscreens were provided to the community of Elk Point, and tennis equipment has been provided to offer free lessons to about 100 students, just this past spring.
While lots of the tennis club's programming is done at the Golf Course courts, the location of the Kinsmen Courts is crucial because of its proximity to schools. The Kinsmen Courts are also important when hosting tennis tournaments in the community. Without the courts, tournaments would not be feasible, heard council.
Shankowski used the soccer fields as an example of another facility that may appear underutilized at times. If another group requested to take over part of the soccer fields and it impeded on the ability for St. Paul Soccer to host tournaments in the community, "it would be a sad day."
During discussions, it was noted that both clubs hold one annual larger tournament in the community. The pickleball club's 2023 tournament included about 50 players and over 60 games on the Saturday and about 60 games on the Sunday. The Tennis club's last tournament included a bout 30 games on the Saturday and another 30 on the Sunday.
Shankowski said as both a pickleball player and tennis player, he "absolutely" wants the facilities to be used more. But, he questions what the pickleball club has invested into the courts over the past eight years. The funds invested by the tennis club show "commitment," he noted.
"All the tennis club is asking for is to remain status quo," said Shakowski. He added, "Our courts do not come without a price tag in future years." Purchasing windscreens and redoing the surface of the courts will come at a cost.
Shankowski noted that the Golf Course courts will need done work soon, which the Town should be aware of. But, the Tennis Club does have the funds to proceed with the work, and will not be seeking financial support from the Town.
"We do not feel that we are asking for a lot compared to what we have given and are presently giving our community," said Shankowski.
Discussions
Coun. Ron Boisvert sought clarification about the proposal by the pickleball court, asking if the changes would sterilize the court for the tennis club. It was noted that yes, because fences would be installed to create four courts, it would mean the tennis club could not use that portion of the court. Boisvert asked if administration could provide a diagram of the proposed plan by the pickleball club before a decision is made.
Miller acknowledged that the clubs have left council in a "conundrum." She also noted that comments about the blood, sweat and tears that have been poured into the facilities are very accurate, noting if it was not for dedicated volunteers, several recreation facilities would not exist in town - such as the golf course, the soccer fields, and arenas.
"I have to thank all of the levels of blood, sweat and tears," said the mayor.
She noted that making a decision will be "a hard call," but it offers an opportunity to take a closer look at the facilities.
"Our job is to actually think of the community as a whole," said Miller, noting that there is passion on both sides. "It's not going to be an easy answer."
Miller also admitted that the final decision likely will not keep everyone happy, but the Town of St. Paul is not in a a financial position to create an entirely new surface.
No decision was made during the Monday night meeting.
