Neighbours call for Halifax to deal with 'ruthless' pickleball noise

People who live close to some Halifax pickleball courts have been complaining about the noise for three years and want the municipality to fix the problem.

Cathy Targett and her husband live next to Castle Hill Park near Kearney Lake Road in Halifax, where the municipality converted tennis courts at the park into three pickleball courts. Once games started up on the newly transformed courts, Targett knew it wasn't going to be good.

"It's gotten to the point that I can no longer go outside into my backyard," said Targett. "I can't open my windows in my house in the summer anymore. The noise is just ruthless."

Targett said during the summer, several games would often be played at once. She said the noise of paddles hitting the balls is much louder than tennis.

As pickleball has become more popular, people now travel fair distances to play on the courts that border her backyard. Lineups of players looking to use the courts have also caused parking concerns for local residents and a porta-potty brought on site was attached to the fence behind Targett's house.

"I woke up one day to find it was attached to our fence and it took me two days to get it removed," she said. "The smell of it was very pungent."

Jennifer Tucker lives in the Cambria Park condominium complex, located on the other side of the courts. Her balcony is close to the pickleball courts.

"The tennis has never bothered me because it's kind of a dull, soft hit," said Tucker. "But with the pickleball it's kind of like being in a psychological torture chamber."

Tucker, who plays sports herself, said she has no problem with the sport but it's the location of the courts. 

"It's just too intimate of a setting for this particular sport," she said.

Even with her windows closed, she said she can hear the sound of pickleball games through the vents in her bathroom when she's in the bathtub.

"Not enough research was done, before they put these courts in, on the impact it would have on the community and neighbouring homes."

Courts have ruled on noise

Pickleball is one of the most rapidly growing sports in Canada.

There have been cases where municipalities have been taken to court over noisy pickleball courts. Last year, a court in Welland, Ont., ruled the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and its local club violated the town's noise bylaw.

"The town and the club permitted noise which disturbs the quiet, peace, rest and enjoyment of the inhabitants of the town," Justice of the Peace Mary Shelley said in a court ruling that ordered the pickleball club and the town to each pay a fine of $1,000.

Halifax Regional Municipality doesn't want to see that happen here and they've been looking for solutions to the problem, said one councillor. 

"Pickleball players are very passionate people and they would sometimes be there first thing in the morning at 7 a.m. and the noise would go all day long," said Kathryn Morse, who represents Halifax-Bedford Basin West where the courts are located.

"We got a reduction in the hours there, which was somewhat effective but not completely, so I've asked for a staff report to see if there are other ways that we can address the noise issue for residents."

With lots of development underway in her district and population growth on the rise, Morse said more pickleball courts are needed as people continue to pick up the growing sport.

In many other countries the game of touch tennis has flourished. Played on a similar size court as pickleball, rackets similar to tennis rackets are used but the game is much quieter than pickleball because it is played with soft foam balls.