Thanks to a $200,000 seed grant from Tennis Canada and Rogers, Chatham-Kent is another step closer to making an indoor playing facility a reality.
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Six municipalities across the country will receive a total of $1.2 million in funding to develop covered tennis courts, Tennis Canada announced on Feb. 6.
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In Chatham-Kent, the money will be used to build a tennis dome at the Bear Line park project.
Last year, council voted to commit up to $2 million to develop a regional park on Chatham’s outskirts, which would include year-round tennis courts.
“We’re delighted to have been awarded the year-round community tennis courts program grant,” Mayor Darrin Canniff said in a release.
“This funding helps bring a tennis dome to our growing community and will provide another great venue for Chatham-Kent residents to have fun, learn new skills, and live more healthy and active lifestyles.”
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Building on eight hectares (nearly 20 acres) of land donated by St. Clair College on Bear Line Road, the project’s first phase involves working with Tennis Clubs of Canada (TCC) — a separate group from Tennis Canada — to build the dome.
Mark Chapados, a Chatham-based TCC coach, and his wife, Stephanie, have led the local efforts at the facility.
He welcomed the latest news on the grant funding.
“It’s amazing. Definitely a lot of work has gone into it,” he said. “We’re obviously very excited.”
Ground-breaking is set for next month, with further details to come. Completion date is still to be determined.
TCC will be build, own, operate and include all costs associated with the dome, Chapados said. “It’s nice for our taxpayers that they’re doing it.”
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Having an indoor option during the winter will go a long way to boost interest in the sport, he added.
“You can only get so far if you don’t have it year-round,” he said. “You can build your tennis players, but then they always have to shut down, or they have to travel come winter. It’s hugely important for that.”
Other municipalities receiving grants this year include Niagara, Mississauga, St. Catharines and L’Ile-Bizard, Que.
Another location in BC, the first project in that province, will be announced in coming weeks.
“It’s tremendous to see this program continue to flourish as we work toward our goal of making tennis more accessible to Canadian,” Gavin Ziv, Tennis Canada’s chief executive, said in the release.
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He said the portfolio has increased from four to six facilities this year, while prioritizing construction of more year-round tennis courts by accelerating capacity-building efforts.
“We cannot wait to see their projects come to life in these communities. Momentum for this program just keeps growing, and we encourage other municipalities, clubs and players to get in touch to see how they can get a project started in their area,” he said.
In its third year, the program has completed projects in Markham, Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton, and Waterloo, Que., delivering 26 new covered courts and providing 4.1 million Canadians access to year-round tennis.
The $5.6-million initiative aims to build 160 year-round courts at as many as 30 facilities across the country by 2029.
“We’re pleased to partner with Tennis Canada to help grow the game of tennis across Canada,” said Rogers’ Terrie Tweddle. “Through these new year-round courts, we’re helping to make tennis more accessible to more Canadians.”
For more on the Chatham project, call 289-879-4600 or visit tennisclubs.ca
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