Richmond Hill Tennis & Pickleball Strategy – What Residents Need to Know
The City of Richmond Hill recently hosted two public open houses to gather input for its Tennis and Pickleball Strategy, which will guide facility planning and investments over the next 15 years. While the meetings were informative, the materials presented suggest that several key decisions — including the number and location of future pickleball courts — may have already been predetermined.
Key Highlights from the City’s Presentation
Population Growth:
Richmond Hill’s population is projected to grow by 30% to 284,000 by 2041, with an aging and diverse demographic. This shift is expected to increase demand for accessible, low-impact sports such as pickleball.
Pandemic Influence:
Participation in both tennis and pickleball surged during COVID-19. The City acknowledges the rapid growth of these sports and the need for expanded indoor and outdoor playing opportunities.
Current & Upcoming Projects
✅ Bayview Hill Park: Completed — 4 dedicated pickleball courts and 6 tennis courts.
🏗️ Richmond Green Master Plan: Ongoing — includes a year-round pickleball hub concept, scheduled between 2030 and 2035.
🏒 Arena Pilot Project: Completed — 11 indoor concrete courts lined on arena floors at Elgin Barrow and Bond Lake arenas (temporary use).
🏞️ Heron View Park & Brickworks Park: Construction planned for 2026, pending budget approval. Both include multi-lined courts, which means tennis courts will also be used for pickleball.
Community Position:
Both the pickleball and tennis communities have expressed that multi-lining courts does not serve either sport well.
Surveys and studies in other municipalities show that:
Multi-lined courts are rarely used for regular play.
They create confusion, safety issues, and scheduling conflicts.
They are a band-aid solution that inflates the perceived number of playable pickleball courts without addressing actual demand.
Residents continue to call for dedicated courts and year-round facilities that reflect pickleball’s status as the fastest-growing sport in Canada.
Community Feedback from the Open Houses
Participants consistently emphasized the need for:
Dedicated, year-round pickleball hubs (8–20 courts).
Lighting, indoor access, and a simpler, fairer booking system.
Richmond Green to remain the city’s primary pickleball complex.
Better use of existing city land — several residents noted that baseball diamonds sit empty for most of the year, while pickleball programs and drop-ins are consistently sold out.
It was also widely recognized that Richmond Hill has underinvested in recreation infrastructure over the past two decades, leaving many residents without access to their sport of choice.
Concerns with the City’s Survey
The City’s online survey is open until November 2, 2025, and we strongly encourage all residents to complete it — but with awareness of its limitations.
While presented as a neutral consultation, the survey includes several signs of bias and leading questions:
It references a “Council directive for a 12-court pickleball hub at Richmond Green,” implying that the decision has already been made.
It limits responses to only three choices for amenities, even though lighting, shade, benches, fencing, and surfacing are all essential.
It asks whether multi-lined courts are acceptable but offers no option to state a preference for dedicated courts.
It includes tennis-specific questions (like forming a “community tennis club”) while omitting equivalent options for pickleball.
These design choices risk producing results that validate existing plans rather than reflect true community need.
How to Complete the Survey Effectively
If you choose to complete the survey, consider highlighting the following points in your responses:
Disagree with statements suggesting that 12 courts are sufficient — indicate that Richmond Hill needs at least 20 dedicated courts, strategically located in places such as Richmond Green.
Disagree that multi-lined courts are acceptable; stress the need for dedicated pickleball courts only. Ask if the City monitors usage of lined pickleball courts on tennis courts compared to dedicated courts like King's College Park or the new actively used Bayview Hill courts. You might want to ask why the lights at Bayview Hill shut off at 9 PM. What was the purpose of putting up lights?
Emphasize the need for year-round indoor access, not just seasonal arena floors or outdoor parking lots, such as the Richmond Green Pop-up courts.
Note that Richmond Green should remain the City’s main pickleball hub, but additional hubs are needed in the north and south ends.
In the comment section, politely question why the City references “Council direction” in what should be an open consultation process.
The survey link is available here: RichmondHill.ca/Pickleball
Please submit your feedback by November 2, 2025.
What Happens Next
The City plans to continue community engagement through 2026.
A draft strategy will be presented in late 2026, with the final version expected in early 2027.
No significant new facilities are expected until 2030–2035, based on the Richmond Green Master Plan timelines.
It’s worth remembering that in July 2022, the previous Council approved 16 dedicated courts at the David Dunlap Observatory site. The current Council paused all pickleball development discussions until 2027 — effectively deferring progress for their entire term. You will be pleased to know that the City has begun construction of the $10,000,000 bridge over the CN tracks at the DDOP site. Let that sink in ... there is no money for much-needed pickleball courts but plenty of money to build a futuristic bridge over the railway tracks. Your tax dollars are hard at work!
In Summary
Richmond Hill’s pickleball community continues to grow faster than any other sport in the city, yet long-term infrastructure planning remains stalled.
The Tennis and Pickleball Strategy is an opportunity to correct that — but given the timeline and biased survey, it seems they have already decided that Richmond Hill will get 12 dedicated outdoor courts at Richmond Green sometime in the next 5–10 years.
Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey and ensure your voice is counted.
Every response matters.