New pickleball courts, playground now open at Burgoyne Woods

Eight new pickleball courts, a new, accessible playground, and other improvements are now open at Burgoyne Woods.

City officials, members of the Recreation Plan Advisory Committee, community members, and pickleball players gathered Wednesday to celebrate the park renewal and officially open the new pickleball courts and playground.

“Burgoyne Woods is one of the City’s most-popular parks and it’s exciting to see it continue to evolve,” said Morgan McAvoy, City Landscape Architectural Planner. “Pickleball is the world’s fastest-growing sport, and it continues to grow in popularity in St. Catharines. We’re excited that these new pickleball courts will be well-used and give residents another reason to get outside and enjoy the park.”

“The new pickleball courts and playground we’re celebrating today at Burgoyne Woods, as well as other park renewals in other parts of the community, are improvements we’re making to create more opportunities for all our residents to enjoy our parks and to live healthy, active lifestyles in St. Catharines.”

Burgoyne Woods, located at 70 Edgedale Rd. in the Old Glenridge area, is the City’s largest park and features wooded areas, sports fields, tennis courts, walking paths, picnic areas with barbecues and a dog park.

Part of the City’s ongoing park renewal strategy, the Burgoyne Woods improvements included building the City’s first dedicated outdoor pickleball courts and responded directly to increasing community demand. The courts feature a specialized sports surface with painted lines and markings specific to pickleball. The courts, located to the west of the park’s lower parking lot, are fenced and include benches and a shade structure.

A new, accessible playground featuring a rubberized surface replaced the previously existing playground near the lower parking lot. Other park improvements added a shade structure, bicycle racks, benches, picnic tables and hard surface connections (paved pathways) as well as improvements to the parking lot and grading and drainage. The City also repainted lines and markings at the existing tennis courts and will replace the fence later this year.

City park renewals help provide safe, accessible, and inclusive recreational opportunities for residents of all ages and capabilities. Creating these safe and accessible recreation spaces that encourage community gatherings supports several pillars of the City’s Strategic Plan, including social well-being, environmental stewardship, and cultural vibrancy.

In addition to Burgoyne Woods and Sunset Beach, other park improvements this year included installing a water station and Peace Pole at Charles Ansell Park in partnership with the Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore, and enhancements to the George Taylor Field baseball stadium.

The City is also working on park renewal projects at Alex McKenzie Park, Berkley Park, Bartlett Park, Torosian Park, and Lakeview Park.