City, club host grand opening for South Country Co-op Pickleball Courts
Medicine Hat – Construction on the new 20-court pickleball facility, located southeast of Big Marble Go Centre, is now complete. The amenity boasts special pickleball court surfacing, a fenced perimeter with sound-dampening, and provides an opportunity to host regional, provincial and national level tournaments, in addition, options for clubs, leagues, schools, as well as the community.
“We are so excited to see this new amenity come to life in our community,” said Kara Brake, Special Projects Coordinator with the City of Medicine Hat. “This is another place where families and friends can meet, learn a new sport and enjoy the outdoors. We are excited to have it at Big Marble Go Centre.”
The Medicine Hat Pickleball Club and community members approached the city in previous years about the development of a multi-court facility to advance and address one of the fastest growing sports in North America. Construction began in the spring of 2021 and was completed in time for the club to host the first ever provincial championship tournament for Alberta.
“This is a state-of-the-art facility and has been recognized by players around the country as being exceptionally well designed,” said Ken MacPhail, president of the Medicine Hat Pickleball Club. “We’re excited to see what’s next for this new amenity.”
The City and club are also pleased to announce the partnership with South Country Co-op as the naming sponsor of this new facility.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Big Marble Go Centre, the city and the community,” said Paul Haynes, CEO with South Country Co-op. “Two of our core values are community and people, which is exactly what these courts represent.”
The City of Medicine Hat thanks the Government of Alberta for supporting this project through the Municipal Stimulus Program, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to stimulate the economy through job growth and red tape reduction. Funding was allocated per capita, providing Medicine Hat a maximum contribution of $7.5 million. The program identified extensive eligibility criteria, including no ongoing operational costs (creating future burden on tax rates), no existing budget commitment (projects that would not go forward in the absence of support through the stimulus program), commencement of construction by 2021 and expending all grant funds by December 31, 2021.
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