Author: Estha Parg Murenbeeld

January 2024

Mayor and Council,
We understand that the District of West Vancouver is undertaking engagement on its upcoming 2024
budget and we are pleased to provide inputs to your efforts. This letter is sent on behalf of the West
Vancouver players within the North Shore Pickleball Club (NSPC). The three main points we would like to address are:

• Our appreciation of Council & Staff addressing the needs of the pickleball community for
• facilities in West Vancouver and our availability to provide support.
• The need to choose a budget option that will retain money for permanent pickleball facilities, and
• The fast growth and popularity of the sport of pickleball.

First, we would like to extend our appreciation knowing that staff and council members in the DWV are expanding time, resources and budget to address the needs of the pickleball community. We understand that there are many competing issues that need tackling within a municipality, additional pickleball facilities being one of them. We applaud the creation of the Pickleball Advisory Roundtable and we are working closely with one of its members, Anne Watson, to ensure that our interests and needs are represented. Additionally, we are staying in contact with the West Van Players group to ensure that our common interests are presented in a coordinated fashion to the DWV. We welcome the opportunity to weigh in on future plans and any proposed changes prior to finalization. Thank you.

Second, we received confirmation that the DWV had allocated $800,000 in last year’s budget for the
installation of new permanent pickleball courts to replace the loss of the courts from 29th Street. We
urge council members to retain the budget allocation of $800,000 to address the needs of the growing
pickleball community and avoid the dilution of funds to other competing sports. If these funds are not retained, we must support a budget option in 2024 that ensures pickleball specific courts can be built in a central location away from residential neighborhoods which is accessible by foot, transit and bicycle, offers suitable parking and has access to bathrooms and water.

Finally, you may be interested to know pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America. It is
extremely popular because it is easy to learn, inclusive, and social. It is cost effective and provides an
enjoyable means of exercise. It is a densified sport compared to tennis; 16 pickleball players can play in the same space as 4 tennis players. Pickleball is played by all ages, but the popularity among baby
boomers is exponential. The demographic of WV is well suited to this ideal form of exercise and social engagement. Permanent outdoor pickleball courts will ensure the DWV will remain a vibrant city addressing the needs of their population in 2024!

Thank you for your consideration on behalf of the West Vancouver residents of the NSPC.
Court Advisory Committee
North Shore Pickleball Club

Charles Neufeldt has been a NSPC member and friend, local pickleball coach and entrepreneur for many years.  In just these last few years Charles has captured top honours at tournaments across Canada and the US, run both a bricks-and-mortar and online store, created his own line of paddles and balls called Alpha, run clinics across the country and been married!   

Charles’ North Shore store closed but you can continue to shop from his Pickleball Paddles Canada online store and our own John Bulick (778-319-3100)  is the new local Alpha paddles rep.  You can follow Charles via his website or Facebook page while he will be based in New Jersey.  

Congratulations Charles and Krysti Maronski and wishing you much luck on your adventurous and ambitious pickleball journey!

1. Pickle Mania 3.0, Sunday March 24

Building on our success from last year, this will be a multi-level doubles, one day tournament for members.  Can’t play?  We hope you’ll volunteer a couple of hours.

2. Notice of Annual General Meeting, Sunday March 24

What’s your hope and passion?  Speak with one of your current directors: Karen Wilson, Vyna Kerrey, JoAnn Harrington, Jim Burke, Melissa Mitchell, Kit Chan, Randy Reimann, Lana Dionne and myself, Estha Parg Murenbeeld to see if you can help this year.

3. January 15 Registration Opens for the PADS Tournaments

This is the tentative opening registration date for the April 20th province-wide fundraiser, probably on Pickleball Brackets.  

Since we don’t have our own suitable venue (and the NVRC won’t rent to us except during spring break), we were happy to learn that the North Shore Winter Club and Hollyburn Country Club are both hosting events on the North Shore.  

https://www.selkirk.com/blogs/community-highlights/meet-selkirk-advocate-maggie-murch-the-heart-of-pickleballs-community-spirit?fbclid=IwAR02RZB_EFA1w1tVG-wGuGocEllMpbFYLAZTkT8ZaIC8EfPN_Kt8rwI2OJQ

North Vancouver Recreation & Culture (NVRC) aims to meet the needs of the community in its programs, services and events. To help increase access to in-demand pickleball book-a-visit and book-a-court spots, NVRC has created a cancellation notification system to let customers know when spots become available. This is currently a pilot project for pickleball bookings.

How to subscribe to the email notification list

NVRC’s IT team has created a customized solution that allows customers to subscribe to an email notification list. Instructions on how to subscribe to the email list can be found on the Courts page of their website and are also listed below:
1) Login to nvrc.perfectmind.com
2) Click on ‘My Info’ at the top of the page (If you are the primary account member of a family, you will need to pick which account member you want to view after pressing the ‘My Info’ button).
3) At the top of the page, click on the purple ‘Edit’ button.
4) Scroll down the page until you see the ‘Mailing Lists’ section.
5) Toggle the switch beside ‘Pickleball Email Notifications’.
6) Press the purple ‘Save’ button to save the changes.

Customers can also get added to the list by calling NVRC’s call centre at 604-987-7529 or visiting a front desk at any recreation facility.

If you have ever unsubscribed from one of NVRC’s email newsletters in the past, the email notification system may not allow you to receive emails from NVRC. If you have or think you may have unsubscribed, but would like to receive the pickleball notification emails, please use this link to our email newsletter tool and re-enter your name and email to allow you to receive emails from us. You can update your preferences to remove yourself from any newsletters you do not want, but will continue to receive pickleball cancellation notifications.

How notification works

When a pickleball spot or court becomes open, everyone on the list will receive an email notification of the availability. Registration for that spot or court will be on a first-come-first- served basis.

Please cancel if you can’t use your spot.

If you can’t make your pre-booked visit, please cancel so others can sign-up for the spot.

You can cancel your visit in your account, by using the online cancellation request form or by calling 604-987-7529. Visit the registration support page to watch a ‘how to cancel’ video.
NVRC hopes this notification list will result in better access for pickleball players and lead to fewer unused spots or courts. If you would like to provide feedback on this or any other topic, please use the secure online form at nvrc.ca/community-engagement or email CustomerService@nvrc.ca.