This fall, Tennis Canada celebrated the openings of two more facilities through the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program presented by Rogers. Chatham-Kent Racquet Centre in Chatham-Kent, ON & IQ Tennis & Pickleball Centre in Edmonton, AB, will be covered by air-supported domes to support year-round play. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held for both tennis facilities, which will provide residents with a place to play the sport year-round.
The project at IQ Tennis & Pickleball Centre, which created six year-round tennis courts, received $200,000 in seed funding through the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program. Other funding partners included the City of Edmonton and the Province of Alberta.
“This exciting new facility shows what can be achieved when funding partners invest in building vibrant communities,” said Mayor Andrew Knack. “The City of Edmonton’s investment and support for sports, sport infrastructure and affordable recreation opportunities through programs like the 2025 Recreation Partner and Facility Investment Program continues to create affordable recreation opportunities for Edmontonians and helps to address the skyrocketing demand for court access created by the country’s fastest growing sport."
"This facility has improved access to year-round tennis for our community, which is going to help grow the sport and ensure that it continues to thrive in Edmonton,” said Ivan Quintero, founder and operator of IQ Tennis & Pickleball Centre. “We’re extremely grateful for the support from Tennis Canada and Rogers Communications for the seed money, as well as our other funding partners, including the City of Edmonton and the Province of Alberta.”
The project at Chatham-Kent Racquet Centre, which has four new covered tennis courts, was also jointly funded by Tennis Canada and Rogers, which provided $200,000 in seed money. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent also contributed $200,000, while Tennis Clubs of Canada, which built and operates the facility, covered the remaining costs
“Our new year-round tennis dome is an exciting investment in healthy, active living for our community,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “In Chatham-Kent, we know how important four-season recreation opportunities are, especially in a climate like ours. This facility ensures residents of all ages can stay active, connected, and engaged year-round, no matter the weather. We are grateful to Tennis Canada for their support and contributions to this project, which help strengthen local sport, grow the game, and enhance recreation opportunities across Chatham-Kent.”
“We send our heartfelt congratulations to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent on the opening of the Chatham-Kent Racquet Centre and to IQ Tennis & Pickleball Centre in Edmonton, as well as our partners, Rogers Communications and Tennis Clubs of Canada, for getting to this point. In the short time these facilities have been open, we have already seen an enthusiasm for playing tennis from the local community, reinforcing our goal of prioritizing the construction of more year-round tennis courts through the acceleration of our capacity-building efforts,” said Gavin Ziv, Chief Executive Officer, Tennis Canada. “It’s gratifying to see this program continue to grow and flourish as we aim to make tennis more accessible to Canadians across the country. We encourage other municipalities, clubs and players to get in touch to see how they can get a project started in their area.”
It has been another successful year for the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program presented by Rogers, which aims to build 160 year-round courts at up to 30 facilities across Canada by 2029. Since 2022, the initiative has invested in 15 projects, providing 77 year-round courts that account for an additional 313,000 hours of court time per year for more than 5 million people in communities across the country. The program anticipates announcing its next set of projects in the new year.
Photo: Jason Symington
