Posted by Colin Heggie on Jul 28, 2020 Our Past Treasurer, Rob Irving, & his wife Donna, are founding members of the Vernon Pickleball Association. Rob explained how VPA started about ten years ago, using tennis courts & area gymnasiums, & now has over 500 members using their 12 courts at Marshall Fields, opened two years ago. Pickleball is one the fastest growing sports. It’s relatively easy to learn, & attracts players of all ages, at all levels. It’s played on a 20x44 foot court, within a 34x64 foot enclosure. To accommodate winter play, VPA is well underway with plans to enclose their 140x240 foot facility with a steel frame supported tent. Pledges of just over $1m recently gathered from members represent about 80% of the cost of the enclosure, which with City of Vernon approvals & a bit of support, may be constructed & opened by the end of 2020. Variances for washrooms, parking & development cost charges, critical to the success of this project, are being considered by the City. The photo above is an artist’s rendering of the proposed tent, right of the existing soccer facility.
