Tennis Canada pushing for accessible home court for western junior team
About 20 promising tennis hopefuls come to the North Shore Winter Club every week to practice and train, but the space and hours are limited.
"We rent courts amongst the members here and operate on two courts most of the time and that’s kind of tricky," said Oded Jacob, the head of the National Junior Training Program for Tennis Canada.
Unlike its eastern counterparts in Toronto and Montreal, he said B.C. doesn't have a "home court" or base.
“This is a growing sport and it deserves to be in the front of the line," he said.
Kids between the ages of 10 to 15, who are selected for their promise to shine in the sport, have to forfeit their lunch hours and class times to practice.
“I have to arrive late every time which is why I’m going here. I’m trying to get here so many times per week but I just can't attend the full length, which is sad and I have to adapt to it," said 14-year-old student athlete Gary Jiang.
“The accessibility is pretty hard because there’s not a lot of courts and like, there’s so many really good players that don’t have so much space to play," added 11-year-old student athlete Clara Vicol.
The province said Tennis BC is proposing to build a new facility in Burnaby and is encouraged to develop a budget for it.
In a statement, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport said, "We are aware of Tennis Canada’s proposal to build a new tennis and racquet sports facility, in partnership with Tennis BC and the City of Burnaby, that would be a home for B.C. National Junior Training Program. The minister has met with Tennis Canada to discuss this project,"
"Tennis Canada has been encouraged to build a business case and develop a budget so the province can assess the viability of a public investment for the project. They have also been encouraged to apply to various federal and provincial infrastructure programs and to develop partnerships with private and corporate donors to secure funds. We look forward to reviewing the business case once completed," the statement continued.
“Our passion and our love for the sport has overcome a lot of these challenges but as the world progresses, we also need to progress because in order to be in the front line of development, we will need all that means possible," said Jacob.
With the popularity of the sport booming, the push for a western home court continues.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Inflation is down, wages are up. Why are Canadians still frustrated with the economy?
The federal finance minister has been taking every opportunity to remind frustrated Canadians that after a bumpy pandemic recovery, the nation's economy is actually doing a lot better.
B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals in labour dispute with workers
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
'Be ready for both': Canadians prepare for any outcome as Americans head to the polls
Millions of Americans are heading to the polls Tuesday as a chaotic presidential campaign reaches its peak in a deeply divided United States, where voters in only a handful of battleground states will choose the country’s path forward.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
UN refugee chief says reducing refugee targets is wise if it prevents backlash
The head of the United Nations refugee agency says it is wise of Canada to scale back the number of new refugees it plans to resettle if that helps stabilize the housing market and prevents backlash against newcomers.
Canada Post, union, still disagree over weekend delivery following weekend talks
Canada Post and the union representing its workers are commenting on how weekend talks for a new contract went, with the employer calling them less productive than they'd hoped and the union claiming their employer is focused on flexibility to deliver parcels at the lowest possible cost.
Here's where to go for camaraderie, food and drink on U.S. election night in Canada
As Americans head to the polls for a presidential election Tuesday, their compatriots and Canadian neighbours north of the border will be watching the results with hope and anxiety.