Pickleball Advocacy - Richmond Hill

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The State of Pickleball in Richmond Hill (continued from previous post)

Prepared by the Richmond Hill Pickleball Advocacy Group

This Is Bigger Than Pickleball

This is ultimately becoming a broader issue about:
● transparency,
● recreation planning,
● meaningful public consultation,
● and whether Richmond Hill is genuinely listening to residents using these facilities every
day.

Residents are not asking for luxury amenities.

They are asking for realistic planning, honest reporting, meaningful consultation, and recreation
infrastructure that reflects the fastest-growing sport in North America.

Here is a response from Pickleball Advocacy to the previous Richmond Hill City Pickleball Briefing of May 15, 2026 to the Richmond Hill City Council. Please share this with your local councillor to set the record straight:

The State of Pickleball in Richmond Hill

Prepared by the Richmond Hill Pickleball Advocacy Group

After reviewing the City of Richmond Hill’s recent “Pickleball Strategy Update” briefing note,
several important concerns need to be clarified for residents and pickleball players.

The central issue is not simply the number of courts. The real issue is the City’s continued
failure to meaningfully engage with the primary user group — the Richmond Hill Pickleball Club
and its members — despite years of complaints, overcrowding concerns, wait times, and
repeated requests for consultation.

Since cancelling the David Dunlap Observatory Park pickleball project in 2023, the City has
largely delayed meaningful progress on pickleball infrastructure. It is now 2026, and residents
are still waiting while studies, strategies, and reports continue.

Despite repeated assurances that the City would work collaboratively with the pickleball
community, there has been little meaningful consultation with the largest organized user group
in Richmond Hill.

At the same time, the City has proceeded with major pickleball recommendations — including a
proposed 12-court outdoor hub at Richmond Green — before the Tennis and Pickleball Strategy
has even been finalized. This raises legitimate concerns about whether public consultation is
truly influencing decisions or whether outcomes have already been predetermined.

Concerns with the City’s Court Inventory Claims
The City’s briefing note states that Richmond Hill currently has 25 outdoor pickleball courts,
including 18 “dedicated” courts.
This presentation is highly misleading.
A true dedicated pickleball court should include:
● permanent pickleball-only court lines,
● permanent net systems,
● proper court spacing and fencing,
● colour-coated sport surfaces,
● and permanent year-round installation.

Concerns with the City’s Court Inventory Claims

The City’s briefing note states that Richmond Hill currently has 25 outdoor pickleball courts,
including 18 “dedicated” courts.

This presentation is highly misleading.

A true dedicated pickleball court should include:
● permanent pickleball-only court lines,
● permanent net systems,
● proper court spacing and fencing,
● colour-coated sport surfaces,
● and permanent year-round installation.

However, the City’s inventory combines:
● temporary pop-up parking lot courts,
● lined tennis courts,
● seasonal arena conversions,
● badminton court gym programming,
● and private facilities

into one large total that creates the impression Richmond Hill has substantial pickleball
infrastructure when it does not.

Key Reality Check

Based on practical day-to-day use, Richmond Hill currently has only:
● 4 permanent dedicated outdoor pickleball courts at Bayview Hill Park
● 2 permanent dedicated outdoor courts at Kings College Park

That is effectively 6 true permanent dedicated outdoor courts serving a city of more than
220,000 residents.

The Richmond Green “pop-up courts” are temporary parking lot courts using portable nets and
seasonal installations. These are not permanent dedicated courts.

The City is also including private facilities such as:
● the Richmond Hill Curling Club,
● Parkway Fitness & Racquet Club,
● and Rise Training Club

in its reporting, despite these not being municipal public pickleball facilities.

Similarly, many of the reported “indoor pickleball courts” are simply temporary badminton court
layouts inside gymnasiums using portable nets. These are programming spaces — not
dedicated pickleball facilities.

What Residents Are Actually Experiencing

The current model is clearly failing operationally:
● overcrowding,
● long paddle lineups,
● extended wait times,
● fragmented programming,
● and players often waiting 20–30 minutes between games

Residents are increasingly travelling to other municipalities and private facilities because
Richmond Hill has failed to keep pace with demand.

The City’s own participation and registration data should already be showing:
● exploding demand,
● sold-out programs,
● significant waitlists,
● and major infrastructure shortages.

Important Questions Residents Should Ask

How many councillors have actually:
● visited Bayview Hill during peak playing times?
● stood at Kings College Park watching the paddle lineups?
● spoken directly with players using the courts?
● reviewed actual wait time data?
● reviewed participation and registration demand?
● asked staff for utilization reports on lined tennis courts?

Because the reality experienced daily by residents appears very different from the picture being
presented in official briefing notes.

Here is a Briefing to the Richmond Hill City Council regarding pickleball. It was Sent on May 15, 2026 to council members:
Key Messages – Pickleball Strategy Update

• Richmond Hill is planning for the future of our city and the community as a whole, and that includes the
pickleball community.
• The City is committed to increasing access to pickleball courts as part of broader investments in parks,
recreation infrastructure and active living amenities.
• We are an urban city and we carefully consider what services and amenities make the most sense in
specific locations across the city, factoring in budget priorities and parkland availability. That’s why we’re
creating a Tennis and Pickleball Strategy.
• The City has already added new pickleball opportunities through shared-use courts, dedicated
programming and facility enhancements. We have 25 outdoor pickle ball courts across the city, several of
which were recently added, including four (4) new purpose-built pickleball courts constructed at Bayview
Hill Park.
• Richmond Hill is working toward a broader city-wide strategy to expand access to pickleball over time in a
sustainable and equitable way. We have recently completed a draft Tennis and Pickleball Strategy which
outlines where new courts will get built immediately and where courts will be built in the future across the
city. The draft strategy will be presented to Council on June 17, 2026 and will be shared with the public for
feedback for 30 days after the presentation.

Current Pickleball Inventory

Richmond Hill currently has the following outdoor pickleball court and indoor programming inventory:

There are currently 25 outdoor pickleball courts (see attached map for locations). These courts include
• 8 lit and 17 unlit courts
• 6 colour coated courts and 19 courts with an asphalt surface
• 18 dedicated pickleball courts
• 7 courts that are multi-lined to also allow tennis

There are currently 24 indoor pickleball courts including:

Year-round pickleball programming at the following locations:
• Rouges Wood Community Centre (6 courts)
• Bayview Hill Community Centre (3 courts)
• Elgin West Community Centre (3 courts)
• Langstaff Community Centre (3 courts)
• McConaghy Centre (2 courts)
• Oak Ridges Community Centre (6 courts)
• Richvale Community Centre (planned 1 to 3 courts)

Summer season indoor courts at:
• Bond Lake Arena (6 courts)
• Elgin Barrow Arena (5 courts)There are also indoor pickleball courts available through community-based and private providers, including six
at the Richmond Hill Curling Club (summer only), three at the Parkway Fitness and Racquet Club in a multi-
purpose gymnasium, and one indoor pickleball court at the Rise Training Club.

Strategy recommendations to add new courts
The Draft Tennis and Pickleball Strategy (2026) recommends prioritizing a pickleball hub at Richmond Green,
as well as, service level and geography based locations City-wide. Detailed recommendations will be
presented to the Committee of the Whole on June 17, 2026.
As directed by Council, the Draft Tennis and Pickleball Strategy recommends prioritizing the construction of an
additional 12 court outdoor pickleball hub at Richmond Green with design and construction to start following
2027 budget approval.
To increase the quantity and geographic distribution of pickleball courts, the Strategy also recommends
additional neighbourhood scale pickleball courts and additional pickleball hub locations in the north and south
of the City.

Community Consultation and Next Steps
Following Council’s ratification of Committee of the Whole’s decision, the Draft Tennis and Pickleball Strategy
will be made available on the City’s website for a 30-day public comment period.
Following the 30-day public comment period, staff and the consultants will prepare the final Tennis and
Pickleball Strategy.
Staff anticipate that the Final Tennis and Pickleball Strategy will be presented to Council in 2027. The Strategy
will include a phased costing strategy and scheduled new facilities including the ones proposed for Richmond
Green.

Contact
• Maria Flores, Director of Policy Planning, (phone hidden)
• Michelle Dobbie, Manager of Park and Natural Heritage Planning, (phone hidden)
Date: May 15, 2026

Hi Everyone! 🏓

There is a new online petition that might interest you regarding the need for outdoor pickleball courts (or even a seasonal pop-up version) for the Mill Pond neighbourhood in Richmond Hill.

As many of you know, pickleball is growing incredibly fast, but our local courts at places like Bayview Hill, Rouge Woods and Richmond Green are often at capacity. Richmond Hill residents then drive to Markham, Thornhill, Vaughan, Aurora, and Newmarket to find court space, contributing to court shortages in those existing locations. This petition asks the City to prioritize Mill Pond for new (or trial) courts so we can play closer to home, and avoid contributing to spillover capacity problems in other parts of York Region.

View and Sign the Petition Here: http://openpetition.org/wrmmt

A few notes:
* Please sign as soon as you can: We want to show the City immediate community interest.
* Privacy: The online form lets you make your name invisible to the public if you prefer.
*The "Pop-up" Idea: We are specifically suggesting a trial version (using existing underutilized surfaces) to show the City how much demand there is without requiring immediate major construction.
* Forward this Petition: Please share this with any players, friends, or family in Richmond Hill and the surrounding area who want to see more active recreation in our community / Richmond Hill / York Region!

Thank-you!