As B.C. prepares to ease some of its physical distancing measures next week, the Vancouver Park Board is following suit.
The Park Board announced Friday it's reopening tennis and pickleball courts in neighbourhoods across the city this weekend. However, this reopening will take a phased approach, beginning with 53 local courts across seven locations that will be available for public use starting Saturday morning, May 9.
The first courts scheduled to open are located at Kitsilano Beach and in Stanley, Queen Elizabeth, Strathcona, Trout Lake, Memorial South, and Champlain parks. The remaining 135 city courts will reopen throughout the week with all courts set to be open and ready for play by Friday, May 15, the Park Board explained in a release.
“We know many Vancouverites have been anxiously awaiting the time when they can return to our courts and we are extremely pleased to be able to safely reopen at our sites,” said Camil Dumont, chair of the Vancouver Park Board, in the release.
“Our staff have been undertaking a thorough review of all facilities, services, and public spaces that were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of safely reopening. In some cases we will need to modify facilities and alter user behaviours, while other operations may be able to resume with limited changes. We continue to seek advice from Vancouver Coastal Health, as well as provincial and federal governing bodies for information on revised best practices, with public safety as our top priority.”
To that end, players will have to follow a new set of protocols and guidelines when they step on the courts for the first time since public outdoor recreation facilities were closed across the Lower Mainland in mid-March. The safety measures are being implemented after a thorough review of operations, as well as consultation with Tennis BC and the Vancouver Pickleball Association, the Park Board said in the release.
Players are expected to:
- Keep two metres apart at all times
- Queue outside the courts and maintain 2 metres distance when courts are in use
- Refrain from sharing racquets or other equipment (pickleball players must bring their own net)
- Clearly mark their ball and refrain from picking up others’ tennis or pickleballs
- Limit play to casual game play only, as no lessons or league play is allowed
- Remain courteous and limit playing time to 30 minutes when others are waiting for the court
- Leave the court when they are done
The Park Board is also encouraging players to wash their hands and equipment often, and reminds them to stay home if they are unwell - especially if they are exhibiting cold and flu-like symptoms.
