Pickleball and Gardening Not the Same

Re: In Fairness to Pickleball (Letters, July 29). In her letter, Luz Elena Espinola notes that the Picton Community Gardens are already in Delhi Park, and fenced to keep out wildlife, and much the same as the proposed pickleball courts.

There are a few similarities between the two projects. The Picton Community Gardens, like the proposed courts, are fenced, not to keep out the wildlife —some still come in and visit — but to protect them from two-footed intruders who come in at night with headlamps and shopping bags to raid food grown by others. They have been filmed, so this is a shocking truth. 

The Picton Community Gardens were also designated a Project of Community Interest. This is a point it seems I will have to remind council about, because as such, we are supposed to inform each other of plans in which we have an interest. Council did not do that when it came to the pickleball courts, in violation of its own agreement.

And, finally, both projects involve forms of recreation. 

That is where the similarities end. 

Some forms of recreation need quiet open spaces to enjoy, others need sports hubs, for example, the Picton Fairgrounds are home to a splash pad, baseball, hockey, skateboarding, and curling. There is lighting and parking, and noise levels to absorb the sound of pickleball. It would be much cheaper to build there. No flood plain to contend with, and water and washrooms are already on site.

When the Picton Community Gardens Revitalization Project was pitched to Council three years ago, renderings of what the final project would look like were presented, so there was full disclosure and transparency. Today the Gardens look exactly like those renderings. 

The Gardens worked with Quinte Conservation to build all structures above ground and not disrupt any toxins in the dump below or the flood plain above. 

We give back to our community by growing vegetables for the food banks in Picton. While the deer are asked to wait for what we throw over the fence, and not help themselves to an endless buffet, they don’t seem to mind — they visit and sleep beside the gardens regularly. 

The Gardens help the endangered pollinators, and there are birds nesting all around in the canopy above, the biggest variety in the spring. That’s when the birding tourism comes through.

The Gardens’ footprint is quiet and integrates well with the dog park, Mount Olivet Cemetery, and the children’s playground. 

So, let’s not pretend the Gardens and the proposed pickleball courts are the same. Hopefully council will be as successful in finding pickleball space, as they were with the Gardens. 

Barbara Mason, Interim Co-Chair, Picton Community Gardens 

Master Plans

Congratulations to PEP for their work over the last three years to bring designated pickleball courts to the County.  All of this work does not need to be for naught, it just needs to find a better location. At the Public Information Centre of July 20, Lisa Lindsay said it is not too late for a different site to be selected. She said it is “not out of the question” to move the two baseball diamonds at the Fairgrounds to Delhi and put the pickleball courts in their place.  

The Parks & Recreation Master Plan prioritizes the Picton Fair Grounds as a “primary hub” for recreation. Those opposed to pickleball in Delhi Park are not opposed to activating Delhi. They are opposed to the constant ball noise of pickleball, the installation of a concrete pad, and the fact that while six new courts may occupy only 1.5 percent of the park’s 31 acres, the reality is that this area is one of only two large flat areas in the whole park, which is at the bottom of a steep ravine. A baseball diamond is much less intrusive.  

Another option may be to move the Fair Quonset Hut to a different location on the grounds and build the Pickleball courts beside the skateboard park. A large bubble roof over 6 courts would fit in well with the other sports offered here. Washrooms and parking are already available, lowering costs. 

There are two other sentences of note within the Parks & Recreation Master Plan which I’d like to share.  Page 6 outlines, as 1 of 5 Strategic Priorities: “Invest In & Protect Our Rural Character,” specifically stating “natural landscapes”.  

For the last 50 years or so, since the closing of the town dump, nature has regenerated Delhi, which attracts birds, animals, fish and insects. Tree planting in 2021 added shade, reduced carbon, and is part of the solution to the climate crisis. “Rise to the Challenge of Climate Change” is another priority.  

There is a strong case to protect Delhi Park, complete a master plan for it, and look for a more appropriate location for pickleball.  Council confirmed the location before any real public feedback was obtained. This has resulted in strong protests with valid concerns. 

The good news is that it is not too late for sober second thoughts to prevail.

Penny Morris, Picton