River John Pickleball Makes Pitch to Council

A group of volunteers want River John to be the next pickleball destination in Pictou County.

The River John Pickleball Society presented to the council on Nov 7 and outlined its plans for a three-court outdoor facility similar to one recently built in Little Harbour.

Society President Wade Taylor said the society became a not-for-profit organization in 2022, and it intends to bring pickleball to River John for all ages to enjoy.

The courts will be on land owned by the legion and the YMCA has committed $15,000 to the project.

“There is a need for rural recreation facilities,” Taylor said, adding that if people in River John want to play pickleball now, they must travel at least a half hour out of their community which not only uses up gas but time.

Taylor said they have recently started playing pickleball on one court at the River John Fire Hall and the response has been positive.  It also has been building awareness about its project through its Facebook page, River John Pickleball.

The society is preparing grant applications for several funding sources, including one for the Municipality of Pictou, for an ask of $40,000.  It will also need to fundraise about $10,000 from the community. 

It is estimated the construction of the courts will be $130,000 and everything else, such as project management, windscreens, landscaping, wiring for lights and contingency, will cost an additional $24,000.

Mike Topley, president of the Royal Canadian Legion, said its board of directors supports the River John Pickleball Society by providing the land for the project.

“We have a very nice building, memorial gardens next to Trans Canada Trail, and when we got a call from the pickleball club year ago, it was pretty much immediate, and the board of directors came on board right away,” he said. 

Council thanked the society for its presentation and said it would review its grant application after the February deadline closes.

For a complete look at the River John Pickleball Society’s presentation to council on our YouTube channel, The Municipality of Pictou County.   The presentation is also available by clicking here.