Pickleballers Take Aim at Vegreville Town Council

Pickleballers Take Aim at Vegreville Town Council

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser A group of die-hard pickleballers can’t wait to get back in action.

They recently made their pitch to Vegreville town councillors in the hopes they will allow them to use the gymnasium which is located inside of the facility which houses the Centennial Library.

The gymnasium has been closed since the onset of COVID-19 and with fall fast approaching the pickleballers wrote a letter requesting the town reopen the indoor venue.

“We request that the town council consider allowing us to use the library gym again this fall/winter. This request is consistent with facility re-openings that are being looked at for other activities. We would like to have access to the gym for two hours each morning, and if possible two hours some evenings during the week…As in the past, if the gym is needed for other events, we will cancel pickleball those days.”

The letter went on to say, “Pickleball is an important activity for our group. It allows us to remain physically active during these challenging times. In addition, the social interactions in a relaxed and friendly environment are important for our mental health.

We are able to maintain social distancing while playing. We have implemented a COVID plan to reduce the risk of spreading the virus while playing pickleball.” They also mentioned they would be happy to incorporate any other COVID measures the town would require.

The request was discussed at council’s Sept. 22 legislative committee meeting where they also discussed several logistical challenges with library representatives. Library Board Chair Mike Cooper said, “It’s not as simple as opening the building and letting people use it.”

Cooper said they have had some issues in recent years with user groups, and with COVID there were have to be sanitation after each and every use and would pose a challenge for staff as the library is operating on reduced hours.

They would also have to address security measures and after-hours usage. Whether to allow usage of washrooms was also discussed amongst councillors Coun. Dave Berry said a number of groups have requested access to the gym, and they would have to develop a strategy for how it would reopen and how it would be operated, and not as a one-off for just one group or another group. He recommended they do something similar as to what was done at the town’s other recreational facilities. “This is something beyond the library’s responsibility.”

Coun. Ann Waters also agreed they should have a policy in place and recommended the library manager be included in the development of the policy.

Coun. Taneen Rudyk pointed out there are very few facilities in town that are accessible for all people and the gym has great potential to serve more people who haven’t been assisted up to this point.

Mayor Tim MacPhee said they would consider all of the information and feedback they had provided and would put in a policy in place.