Petition from Gatineau badminton players says Ontarians are invading the courts

A petition is blaming Ontario residents for taking over badminton courts in Gatineau, Que. — and its sponsors are calling on the city to hike recreation fees for non-residents.

Badminton player François Tremblay presented the petition to Gatineau city council on Tuesday, saying the city's sports facility should serve its own residents first.

He said he has to wait 90 minutes, or even two hours, to get time on the badminton court. He said he has to show up very early to have any chance at a game.

"It's getting more and more difficult to get access because there are too many people," he told Radio-Canada on Wednesday.

"We can tell from just looking at the parking lot that there's a lot of licences coming from the Ontario side."

Non-residents pay just under $200 for an Accès Gatineau+ card, which allows them a year's access to badminton, pickleball, basketball, volleyball and much more at the municipal sports centre at the corner of boulevards de la Gappe and de la Cité.

The price is far more than the $30 Gatineau residents pay, but it's still a good deal next to what's available on the Ontario side of the river. Comparable all-inclusive annual passes from the City of Ottawa cost more than $540.

In an emailed statement, the City of Ottawa said demand for badminton at its facilities is very strong, with drop-in and registered programs running at about 90 per cent capacity or greater.

Councillor gives petition sympathetic hearing

After hearing the petition, Coun. Marc Bureau said he, too, has faced lengthy waits when trying to play badminton with his grandson at Gatineau's sports centre.

"I think it is necessary to watch this very closely and see what we can do," he said in French. "We have a large problem because residents of Ottawa are coming in very large numbers and benefiting from our facilities."

Gatineau's own data shows only 301 of the roughly 60,000 Accès Gatineau+ cards are held by non-residents, and only 64 of those live in Ontario.

Coun. Mario Aubé said the issue deserves more careful analysis before council makes any decisions at budget time.

Gatineau's badminton courts are popular with high-level players, according to Liam Woodside, who competed on the national badminton circuit.

He said the courts at Ottawa's RA Centre book up quickly, and facilities with lower ceilings can interfere with play. White walls can also make it tough to spot the shuttlecock, Woodside said. 

He said he knows of several people who cross the river in search of high-quality facilities at a reasonable price.

"I can understand both sides," he said. "If you're playing or hoping to play on courts at a price where it's subsidized by the provincial taxes that you're paying, and then people who are not paying those taxes are driving across the border to play and you're not able to get the court time, I understand it would be frustrating."