Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy
Update - February 21, 2025
The Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy’s project team will now be accepting resident feedback on the Draft Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy until March 4, 2025.
Draft Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy
The City of Ottawa’s RCFS Department is pleased to release the Draft Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy for public review. The strategy is the product of extensive consultation and engagement with a wide range of partners, including municipalities across Canada, residents, municipal membership tennis and pickleball clubs and local sport associations. Input from partners shaped the direction of the strategy and guidelines have been designed to reflect and balance the priorities of each group.
Key Considerations:
- Outdoor Court Minimum Standards
- Pickleball Noise Mitigation
- Outdoor Court Equity, Diversity and Access
- Outdoor Public Court Equipment/Infrastructure
- Outdoor Public Court Conditions of Use
Residents are invited to share feedback regarding the Draft Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy by email to tennis_pickleball@ottawa.ca between February 11 and February 25, 2025.
It is anticipated that the strategy will be finalized in Q2 2025.
Considerations for further development:
Through the strategy’s consultations and engagement, residents identified additional opportunities to further improve the City’s outdoor tennis and pickleball courts. In response, the project team has committed to evaluating and updating the following components as a second phase of the strategy.
- Municipal tennis and pickleball clubs continue to be a priority for the RCFS Department. Therefore, we will work with clubs to update the existing municipal tennis and pickleball club model to reflect current trends and further support clubs in their operations.
- The project team will collaborate with Public Works and Asset Management to reassess and update maintenance and lifecycle renewal guidelines for outdoor tennis and pickleball courts.
We look forward to strengthening relationships with municipal clubs and continuing to offer safe outdoor recreational spaces for residents through these additional considerations of the Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy. Further details and timelines regarding the second phase of the strategy will be shared once confirmed.
Update – December 17, 2024
The Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy's project team is committed to developing a strategy that will best serve Ottawa’s residents. As a result, we have decided to adjust the timeline to refine some elements of the strategy. We anticipate that the draft strategy will be shared on Engage Ottawa in Q1 2025, at which point residents and partners will be invited to share feedback via email (tennis_pickleball@ottawa.ca).
If you have any questions, please contact the project team at tennis_pickleball@ottawa.ca.
We will continue to post updates as the project progresses.
Update – August 6, 2024
Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute to the Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy survey and consultations. We are pleased to share the “What We Learned” report, which summarizes the feedback received through the survey and consultation sessions.
The project team is developing a draft Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy, which will be shared on Engage Ottawa later in 2024. The anticipated implementation date for the final strategy is spring 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact the project team at tennis_pickleball@ottawa.ca.
We will continue to post updates as the project progresses.
Update – January 11, 2024
Thank you for your interest and feedback regarding the Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy.
The public survey received over 1200 responses between October 27 and December 31, 2023.
A “What we Learned” report will be available on Engage Ottawa and will summarize all feedback received through the public survey and virtual stakeholder consultations.
If you have any questions or further comments, please contact the project team at tennis_pickleball@ottawa.ca.
Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy Public Virtual Consultations
The City hosted virtual consultation sessions for the general public on Tuesday, December 12 and Thursday, December 14, 2023.
Survey Update
As of November 17, there have been over 950 survey responses. City staff will produce a What we Learned report based on survey responses and virtual consultations. This report will be published on the Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy Engage Ottawa webpage.
Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy
Pickleball is currently the fastest growing sport in North America. As such, demand for court space is steadily increasing across Ottawa, while tennis continues to be a well-loved sport in our community.
The City has identified the need for an outdoor tennis and pickleball strategy, which will ensure that communities across Ottawa have access to both sports. The strategy will also serve as a reference guide for future management, oversight, and development of all public and club-operated outdoor tennis and pickleball courts.
Currently the City operates over 500 outdoor tennis and pickleball courts, including combination courts (shared tennis and pickleball lines), single sport courts and municipal membership club courts.
Following an evaluation of the current public court model, the strategy will identify a clear direction and delivery model for both outdoor tennis and pickleball across the city of Ottawa.
If you have any questions, please contact tennis_pickleball@ottawa.ca.
