Essex set to become pickleball capital of Canada

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Essex could become the centre of competitive pickleball in Canada if a planned public-private partnership falls into place, officials announced Wednesday morning.  

The town is working on partnering with the local entrepreneur Scott Hollinsky and his son Evan to create the PickleBarn, a multimillion-dollar facility on a portion of a 70-acre parcel of land called The Essex Sports Centre. The pickleball courts are part of a larger project that would include baseball diamonds and soccer fields at Batten Side Road and North Malden Road.  

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The PickleBarn’s proposal for the property was selected from a request-for-proposal process. If the public-partnership is finalized, the new pickleball facility, which could open in the fall of 2025, would have 16 indoor and 10 outdoor pickleball courts, two outdoor tennis courts and one indoor court, and four indoor padel courts, said Scott Hollinsky at a press conference at the Essex Centre Sports Complex.  

A press release from the town said the concept is in the early stages and is currently under review from town administration.

Athough the Hollinskys hope to move ahead with the pickleball facility on a timeline that would see it open next fall, the town in a release, said “the potential partnership is still in the planning stages and no timelines have been set at this time.”

“The potential development of a pickleball complex is an exciting opportunity for our community,” said Mayor Sherry Bondy. “This partnership would not only enhance our recreational offerings but also bring economic benefits and foster a vibrant, active community.”

Padel is similar to tennis, but is played on a smaller court and the balls can be played off the walls.  

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The PickleBarn, which would be located on an eight-acre portion of the new sports complex, would be the largest pickleball facility in Canada, said the company’s program manager, Evan Hollinsky. 

It would also include a full fitness centre with physiotherapy services, member locker rooms with showers and saunas, a pro shop and, a restaurant and a banquet hall.  

“The facility will serve as a premier destination for not only our local municipalities, but provincially as well,” said Hollinsky. “We are confident that the complex will enhance the overall appeal of Essex as a destination for recreation and leisure.”  

Under the proposal, the town would sell a parcel of land to the PickleBarn, which would then pay for construction of the facility, said Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy. Money from the sale of the land would then be used to develop infrastructure on the property, she said.

The PickleBarn will be the first in Canada designed by Rockville, MD-based Johns Design and Consulting, which has consulted on courts built in California, Florida, Texas and Michigan, said Scott Hollinsky. 

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The demand for pickleball is large enough to support such a facility, said Evan Hollinsky. And with two professional pickleball tours opening in Canada, there is potential for tournaments.  

Evan, a competitive pickleball player, said he noticed a big difference in facilities when he plays in tournaments in the United States compared to what’s offered in Ontario. 

“When I go to tournaments in the States, there’s a minimum of 20 courts at these facilities and we’re going through matches,” he said. “It’s perfect timing and everything’s good. Then when I go to competitive tournaments in Canada and more specifically Ontario, we have six courts, delays between matches. There are no courts to warm up on and we can’t even play all the event categories because there’s just not enough courts.” 

Hosting tournaments in Canada may mean playing on concrete, rather than acrylic pickleball courts, and with temporary lines on tennis courts.  

Essex works as a location because of its central location, the Hollinskys said. 

Bondy said the town has always been “really big on sports amenities.” 

“We’re really happy to have this partnership with this sport that is becoming so popular and we don’t have enough amenities locally for it, so I know it’ll be busy,” she said. 

bamacleod@postmedia.com 

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