The Saville Community Sports Centre broke ground on six new tennis courts scheduled for completion for the 2023-24 fall and winter seasons. The year-round courts offer outdoor play in the summer and are covered with a bubble structure for the winter. Tennis enthusiasts will enjoy affordable, accessible access through a pay-to-play model.
“The addition of new courts is an exciting expansion to the tennis program operated at the Saville and a beneficial addition to the sport and recreation opportunities offered in Edmonton,” says Russ Sluchinski, Tennis Manager, Saville Community Sports Centre. “More tennis programming, including opportunities for recreational players, junior athletes, and the University of Alberta Tennis teams, will help grow the sport for the Edmonton community.”
This project is supported through Tennis Canada’s Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program presented by Rogers. In addition to the Saville Community Sports Centre courts, for 2023 the Year-Round Courts Program supports courts in Toronto, Stratford, and Thunder Bay. In total, the project will see a collective 19 year-round tennis courts added to those communities, accessible to 1.7 million Canadians and accounting for a total of 1,881 additional court hours per week during the winter months.
Canada falls behind other leading tennis nations in providing access to the sport year-round, with only 750 publicly accessible covered courts across the country. That’s one year-round court for every 50,000 people. For Alberta, these courts are some of the only pay-to-play surfaces in the province, allowing for greater access to play the sport 12-months of the year.
“Alberta’s tennis community understands that every addition to the number of courts in the province is a benefit. With the province’s shallow court per population ratio, Alberta needs more affordable and accessible opportunities to play year-round. The cooperation between Tennis Canada, Rogers, and the University of Alberta demonstrates how working together benefits the sport and the community at large,” says Alan Mackin, Executive Director, Tennis Alberta.
Tennis Alberta and Tennis Canada continue to address the lack of accessible year-round courts. The Albertan tennis community is encouraged to connect with their municipal, provincial and government officials/decision makers to express the need for more cost-effective year-round facilities. Anyone with questions or interested in learning more about the Year-Round Courts program, please contact Tennis Alberta at info@tennisalberta.com.
More information about the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program.
University of Alberta Partners with Tennis Canada and Rogers to Bring Year-Round Tennis to Edmonton
Photo: L to R: Robert Pawliuk, Associate Vice President of Support and Recreation Service, University of Alberta, Russ Sluchinski, Tennis Manager, University of Alberta, Anita Comella, Senior Director of Facilities Development, Tennis Canada, Alan Mackin, Executive Director, Tennis Alberta, Karina Trkulja, Executive Director, Edmonton Junior Tennis Society and Don Abraham, Senior Manager, Rogers Business, Rogers Communications.
Photo Credit: Laughing Dog Photography
