100 years of 'love' at Regina's Lakeshore Tennis Club
Tiffany Cassidy | CBC News | Posted: June 29, 2015 8:35 PM | Last Updated: June 29, 2015
The Regina tennis club celebrates its centennial, and its rich history
From fending off cattle that are eating the grass, to becoming a hub of competitive tennis in the city, Regina's Lakeshore Tennis Club has a long history. This week marks its 100 years as a club.
Prank leads to cattle grazing on grass tennis courts
In the early years the club had grass courts, but later added a few shale courts. Tim McMahon, the current president of the club, said it created a bit of competition between the two camps.
"The grass courters, they tended to be a little bit slower and a bit more finesse... The shale courters thought the grass courters were a bit effeminate, but they were very good at playing bridge when it rained," McMahon said.
The two groups decided to play pranks on each other. To prevent grass from growing, the shale courters put salt on the grass courts. In return, the grass courters put grass seed on the shale courts.
One evening the nearby grazing cows came over to the salty courts, and started licking it up, according to McMahon. The salt made them itchy, so they rubbed up against the clubhouse and knocked it over.
In the morning, the cows were found in the lake having a big drink.
Club opens itself up to more than just MLAs
The tennis courts were originally built for government employees at the legislature and their spouses. There was a tennis league at the time, and the Lakeshore Tennis Club was one of the first to join the league.
It was during the Second World War that the club started opening up to the public. Many men left the city and the club attempted build up the membership.
Club becomes a hub of Regina tennis
The club has grown in the past 100 years. It now has eight tennis courts, and a restaurant in the clubhouse. It provides tennis lessons to children and adults.
Noreen Hetherington has been with the club for more than 40 years.
"It's a real nice retreat," she said. "It was a place that I could come after work and feel at home."