VIDEO: Medicine Hat pickleball court construction underway near Lions Park, outdoor rink replaced in Ross Glen

“The southern half will be four pickleball courts and nothing else. The northern half of the court will be a tennis court, but will also then have the lines painted for four drop-in pickleball courts,” he added.

“If tennis isn’t being played and people can provide their own nets, then there’s actually the ability to have up to eight pickleball games being played at the same time.”

The whole facility is also being enlarged so that the pickleball courts can be regulation size.

“We’re surrounding the whole facility with accused defense, very similar to that which is on the pickleball facility at the Big Marble Go Centre,” Patton said.

“To try and make the activities a little quieter for the residents that live close to that area.”

Another issue will be resolved by the construction.

“The courts themselves were kind of low, basically due to how the ground had to be built up to support the Strathcona pool and then just the way that the contour is run there. There was some minor issues with drainage,” Patton said.

“Raising the facility a little bit will help to ensure that we have positive drainage and will help the surfaces on there last a lot better than maybe it has done previously.”

Construction is anticipated to be done in mid-October.

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Construction is nearing completion of a project at the East Glen outdoor rink.

“It was getting aged. It was at the point where the volunteers that were running that particular rink were struggling to keep water in it, which obviously means it’s difficult to flood and create an ice surface. So, it was pretty much at end of life,” Patton said.

“We’ve replaced that with a high board rink. It looks absolutely fantastic. We’ve made it a little shorter so that we can put in a basketball court at one end of it.”

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The new outdoor rink in East Glen. Jesse Gill/CHAT News

The basketball court isn’t a regulation sized court, but Patton said was put in as they recognize these facilities do cost a fairly large amount of money for something that really was only being utilized in the winter months.

“We’re trying to make these rinks and those particular areas a little more useful all year round,” Patton said.

“Things like basketball courts or pickleball courts and any other activities where we can utilize the area in the warmer months, we feel, gives a little bit more value for taxpayer money.”

Improved lighting to the area and a walkway to the ice surface are a few of the upgrades.

“The old rink didn’t really have anything around it to get from the skate shack into the rink. So, this one’s actually going to have a proper boardwalk with the rubber mats on tops to protect the wood from people’s skates,” Patton said.

“Much the same as if people have seen the boardwalk that was placed around the Jefferies high board rink.”

“There’ll be some player benches and benches by the basketball court for spectators or if you get enough people playing there, then player benches for hockey teams. So, hopefully it just makes the whole facility a little bit more enticing and encourages more people to use them.”

The final touches include safety railings on the boardwalk and putting the player benches and the picnic table back.

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Basketball court at the south end of the outdoor rink in Ross Glen. Jesse Gill/CHAT News

Another project in the works is the Herald courts rehabilitation project which is nearing completion near Herald School on the South West Hill.

“The final parts of that project are taking place right now, so the new chain link fence is going up,” Patton said.

“Once that’s done, we can do the landscaping to kind of tidy up around the area. Hopefully soon we should be able to open the facility back up for public use.”

The area includes a new basketball court, tennis court and lighting upgrades.

“It was two tennis courts, and I think there had been some work done previously to kind of try and keep the surface going, which wasn’t lasting, which wasn’t necessarily in great condition,” Patton said.

“The decision was made to remove all of the old surfacing and start afresh to give it a little bit more longevity.”

A bridge strengthening program continues on the trails between Echo Dale Regional Park and Gas City Campground and is expected to be a little ahead of schedule for the late September completion.

“The first bridge was completed last week. We had the structural engineer come out and check it and he’s happy with the work that’s been reopened to the public,” Patton said of the steel bridge near the view points in Echo Dale.

“The second bridge is in progress now and that should be completed by mid-September.”

“That is the one directly adjacent to Gas City Campground.”

Palliser Park located in Ranchlands also just had a project completed.

“That looks absolutely fantastic. It had some new alternative landscaping and a new, more efficient irrigation system put in,” Patton said.

by Jesse Gill

VIDEO: Medicine Hat pickleball court construction underway near Lions Park, outdoor rink replaced in Ross Glen

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