More than 70 people crowded Council chambers last Tuesday night, with more watching from the overflow room, as councillors considered another round of public engagement over the proposed pickleball courts at Delhi Park.

Applause followed several deputations and comments from the audience, prompting Mayor Steve Ferguson to note, twice, that applause was not permitted. After that he let it go.

The public comment period lasted an hour, at which point councillors voted to end public comments, a first for this term. Of those who spoke, 9 were opposed to the courts and two were in favour.

Council then considered a motion from Councillor Neiman calling for another stakeholder meeting with user groups and Prince Edward Pickleball (PEP) to discuss the project and site-selection process.

“We did not have everybody at the meeting that should have been at the meeting,” he said.

Some were skeptical the motion was a delaying tactic. “Is it to make this work, to find a way to make this work, or is it to kill it?” Councillor Maynard asked.

Councillor St-Jean proposed an amendment to include the Community Gardens and Mt. Olivet cemetery, the Community Connections initiative, and the broader governance of Delhi Park as a shared community asset at the new meeting.

In her remarks to Council, Liz Driver underscored Delhi Park’s history and its identification as a high-priority landscape in the County’s recently approved Cultural Heritage Master Plan.

But Mr. St-Jean pointed to the site’s history as an athletic field, telling Ms. Driver, “I know how important history is to you.”

“We can’t go back and choose our points in history,” she replied. “Nature has rebounded, and I don’t want the municipality to go backward.”

Stephanie Roth, chair of PEP, defended the site selection and said the organization has raised more than $166,000 in funds for the proposed courts. PEP has offered to address concerns about noise, lighting and the nearby cemetery. 

Ms. Roth said the group would support suspending play during funerals and interments.

Councillor Pennell asked how that would work in practice, including who would know when a funeral was taking place and who would ensure players stopped using the courts.

Ms. Roth said the suspension would be a rule, and players would be expected to follow it. “It’s called respect,” she said.

Whether the additional consultation could lead to a different location was a key question. Mr. Nieman said the intention was not to change the location, but acknowledged that an open discussion could result in asking Council to reconsider.

When Councillor Braney suggested a location in Hillier, Ms. Roth responded, “I’m not saying no.”

The decision to build six courts at Delhi Park remains in place unless Council votes to reconsider it, but the uncertainty over the site will jeopardize the project timeline.

Lisa Lindsay, Director of Recreation and Community Facilities, noted her office was pursuing funding based on Council’s direction to put the courts at Delhi Park. It has applied for $300,000 through the Build Communities Strong Fund, a 50/50 matching grant. That application is due in early 2027.

“I wouldn’t feel right about putting the municipality’s name on something that might change,” she said.

The amended motion passed 9-4, and directs staff to convene additional meetings with user groups, stakeholders and Prince Edward Pickleball regarding current and future plans for the proposed courts, including the site-selection process. Staff will report back to Council with a summary of the survey and public engagement results by the end of the first quarter of 2027.

Further Dialogue

“I think it’s good just to accept the win that there’s going to be further dialogue,” landscape architect Victoria Taylor told the Gazette. “I think it’s a new model for council and our community to think differently about public space.”

She said the conversation should consider Delhi Park as a whole, rather than focus exclusively on the proposed courts, and noted a petition for reconsideration presented to the Clerk had gathered close to 900 signatures in a couple of months.

Ms. Taylor worked with the County on the Delhi Park Community Connections Plan. That work focused on accessibility and active transportation, including how people could move through the park and the development of accessible trails. “It was never about pickleball,” she said.

She noted, for example, that the Plan’s additional parking was intended to address several needs, including the community gardens, the cemetery, and general park users.