In my youth I was a big user of the Eaglenest tennis courts, mostly for hockey almost every night in the winter, but also for tennis in the summer. It was a very busy place and the central focal point for the Foothills community. It was a place where everyone congregated and mingled and had fun.

I think the biggest reason these tennis court/ ice rinks may not be used to the extent it was before is because the city would not back up the user groups. Issues like liability coverage for who ever up keeps the ice rink.

Friend of mine was going to take on the time and responsibility to flood and upkeep the local rink in his community in College Heights this winter but the city, not only provides no help, but also wanted him to pay $500 for liability insurance from his own pocket if he provided the community ice rink this winter. So $500 of his own, and the significant time and efforts of volunteer time were just too much, and now they likely won’t have an ice rink this winter.

We can pay a hundred million for a airport logistics park dream, and propose $11 million for a dyke that is not needed, and build the fanciest police station in Canada… but for some reason the city can not find the funds to pay for parks, trails, tennis courts, and community ice rinks… the things that make for a healthy lifestyle and are universally available for all people regardless of income.

it is decisions like this that highlight PG as a city with misplaced priorities.

I used to play tennis all the time, but back the it was rare to see a open court, having to wait for one was expected. These days things are different, you rarely see a tennis court have anyone on it, see a bunch of kids playing scrub baseball, playing football or even tossing around a frisbee.

Are parents said the same things about us as we where growing up. We where in better shape of course but that is because we didnt have the luxuries the kids of today do. Almost every house has two vehicles so the kids are always getting rides to school, the mall etc. we walked everywhere. Even look at the bikes.. We had one gear..they have 28.

I don’t like the idea of shutting down anything that has to do with sports, but realistically it makes sense. If you had a trampoline, swing set, sandbox in your backyard and know one used it would you keep it up just in case ?

Why not just put a pay for use meter on each court and let those that have community support keep them open? It wouldn’t cost $1.2m for a system like that either.

Imagine, neglect them. Let weeds grown between widening cracks and nobody plays anything on them. Sort of a self fulfilling prophecy.

“Tennis courts with continued maintenance:
5. Duchess Park 2 courts”

I simply don’t understand this tennis court. This tennis court IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. There is even a sign on the door that your have to be a member of the tennis club to access it (door is locked) or drive across town and pay a day usage fee and be provided with a key. Why is the city paying for the maintenance of this court if members of the tax paying public CANNOT USE THE COURT.

Worst of all, given that this court is not open to the public, it has hardly been used by anyone this year.

Do they teach kids how to play tennis in PE anymore? Does the school even have any equipment to do so aside from the courts? They taught our daughters badminton in the gymnasium but how about taking the kids outdoors once in a while. Soccer was even cancelled for some unknown reason in the school field but they play in the gym…?

Slinky, liability issues of taking them onto pavement. What happens if they trip and fall and skin their knees.

This is a good move by the City. Not many people play tennis anymore.

Canadians suck at tennis ….. 3 guesses why that is so …… the first two do not count. :-(

“Not many people play tennis anymore”

I agree totally with the “anymore”. I used to play consistently some 30 years ago. Same with squash. Would have to wait a day to get court time. Then the courts on 15th burned to the ground and finally the Y got rid of theirs.

In this city we should have had a few indoor tennis courts many decades ago. In the mid 1970s someone was close to building some in Carrie Jane Gray Park, including a roller rink, but that never happened.

Kids don’t even play tennis on their Xboxes. That tells you right there how unpopular the sport has become. :-)

Some people make a lot of money playing tennis. Not enough incentive, I guess. Requires exertion. A bit more than texting.

As a fort George resident, I see the gyro courts used consistently by tennis players, including myself on the odd occasion. Perhaps keeping another activity open in Ft George park should be looked at. I agree with the pay by usage idea.

Eagleone..you are completely wrong or your “friend” is feeding you a line. I’m a long time rink volunteer and I can tell you the exact opposite is true.
The City provdes cash funding for each rink and in no case do they ever require payment from volunteers. The City also provides the boards for around the rinks. All rinks are run through Community Associations.
This is all FACT.

The tennis courts by Ct Ft George use to be used but this year they were used very early because of the heat. My family uses it but found that this year it was too hot to play between 9AM – 9PM.

As for not being able to use the tennis courts at Duchess Part unless you are a memeber of the tennis club, this is common practice for our City. Kids use to be able to ride the BMX track years ago when the club was not having race or practice time, but when the City put money into the track the rules changed and now you must be a member and you can only use it on their terms and times, (older siblings can not race against their younger siblings).

The same with the soccer fields, lots of City of money put into the fields but don’t dare go near them unless you are a member.

I am able to remember when kids and adults would go to the fields, baseball diamonds, etc. and play scrub games. But now the City builds them and they are not for the use of the general public. One example is the baseball diamonds that the spent millions to built on North Nechako Rd. They told the Citizen of the area they were building them out there as there was a shortage of rec space and that they would be able to use them. Nope, lock on the gates, only the women’s teams use them.

I also like the usage idea but then it would just be another place that thieves could steal from.

i thought the same thing about volunteering for a community rink in the winter. my brother and I were going to go to a workshop the city was putting on a couple years ago to flood and maintain the rink in the westwood tennis courts. we called to register and were told that they had about 5 people ahead of us for that neighbourhood and that it wouldn’t be worth our time to attend. I’m hoping to try again this year, but it definitely seems like the city supports rink volunteers and provides everything that is needed.

also, as a ‘younger’ adult with small kids, i get so tired about hearing people talk about ‘kids today’ and how lazy they are. the parents of those kids are probably in their late 40s, early 50s, likely the age of many of these posters. if kids don’t have a good example of the benefits of sport and phsyical fitness, they will not adopt those values. look in the mirror, maybe you were one of those parents.

“Kids these days” it’s been heard from generation to generation..

I find it funny that some parents get mad at their kid for playing online games with other kids or hours and hours yet in the next room the parents are watching tv or the same amount of time with no social interaction at all :)

alexvega, you are so right about weeds on tennis courts. The employees at the City have been painting lines on a tennis court (one of the ones listed above) even though it is totally ruined by the ground underneath it. The court in question has sunk into the ground and the nets have been removed for years but some City employee keeps painting tennis court lines on it.

I, as a City taxpayer, am pissed off that the department in charge of painting lines at the City didn’t stop spending employee time and supplies on this court. A big waste of money!!!!

Shut downs these courts and lets put up some more liquor stores in their place. Seems the city has no problems saying yes to another liquor store anywhere.

moose: “Shut downs these courts and lets put up some more liquor stores in their place. Seems the city has no problems saying yes to another liquor store anywhere.”

Clearly, these liquor stores all move enough product to thrive, so why not? What’s your point exactly?

The courts at Malaspina are already beyond redemption – weeds a foot high in the many cracks of the asphalt, you couldn’t play tennis if you wanted to!

I suspect there are others on the list that are also in similar shape. To rehab this one at this point would be very expensive…..