Ladysmith pickleball courts opens, part of significant recreation expansion

Ladysmith’s Phil Ward was among the first to enjoy a game of pickleball at the chain-link-surrounded court on Thursday.

With no prior in-town outdoor options available to play the sport, Ward said the amenity will be popular.

“It’s great because that’s what attracts all of the families, and people are having to be off their screens when they’re out here, so that’s a bonus as well,” Ward told NanaimoNewsNOW.

While organized indoor pickleball is available at Ladysmith’s Frank Jameson Community Centre, the closest prior outdoor option to play the increasingly popular sport was in Chemainus.

“There’s starting to be more interest in younger people, it’s good, we really need more young people playing too,” Ward said.

Phase two of enhancing Forest Field also includes outdoor fitness equipment installed late last year.

A perimeter trail and dirt-surfaced mountain bike skills park are other pending phase two improvements on the agenda.

Forest Field includes a multi-sport artificial sports field, heavily used for organized soccer and football, which will be closed down in August for resurfacing.

A warm-up practice field was added last year.

A warm-up pitch complements the artificial field at Forest Field, particularly for soccer user groups. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Chris Barfoot, Ladysmith’s director of parks, recreation and culture, said an important aspect of the Lot 108 park plan identified back in 2019 was establishing a recreational destination that a wide range of people could enjoy.

“What the vision was is that sort of community hub of recreational needs all being met at one time, so you have that multi-generation use,” Barfoot said at the ribbon-cutting event.

He said later this year, the Town will decide how to proceed with the final phase of upgrading Forest Field, featuring a fieldhouse facility to complement the primary sports field.

A majority of the $990,000 costs for the phase two Forest Field additions came from federal funding.

Mayor Deena Beeston said the Lot 108 growth initiative represents community desires for the type of recreation options people want at the site.

“We have the setting, we’re forest to the ocean. We want people to be getting outside at all levels of fitness, all levels of ability and being able to enjoy the fresh air and scenery that we have here.”

Beeston said the fieldhouse component of the project will be an important feature in supporting the level of use the artificial field receives.

“It will give storage for the organizations that use the area. It will give other funding opportunities because there will quite likely be a concession or commercial kitchen in it. It’s one more step in making this a complete facility.”

In addition, the Forest Field Enhancement Society is raising money to install playground equipment just east of the pickleball courts.

More information on a raffle draw to help fund the playground push is available here.

The artificial surface at Forest Field is scheduled to be replaced in August to limit disruptions to user groups. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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by Ian Holmes

Ladysmith pickleball courts opens, part of significant recreation expansion

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