The City is adding a new sports court to George Ben Park and will engage the community to determine its purpose and design.
The timeline is subject to change.
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This project has been classified as a high-level Consult project based on the International Association for Public Participation Spectrum. This means we obtain public feedback on existing analysis, alternatives and/or proposals.
In 2019, City Council adopted the Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan, which identified a need for new tennis and pickleball courts across the city, including within Ward 11. As confirmed in the 2023 Pickleball Play Report (2023.IE4.5), pickleball courts are in high demand city-wide and staff should evaluate all tennis court projects for the inclusion of pickleball, including within Ward 11.
Parks in Ward 11 were evaluated for suitability for pickleball courts based on their available space, topography, complementary facilities and setbacks from residences. The intent of this project is to keep the soccer field and add a sports court
In February 2025, the project team conducted stakeholder interviews with the City’s Park Operations team, Pope Francis Catholic School and permit holders to understand current park usage and identify opportunities for improvement.
In this phase, the project team will work with the community and stakeholders to develop a vision statement for the new sports court and collect feedback on potential amenities. The community will also be asked their preference for a tennis and/or pickleball court. Feedback collected will inform design options that will be presented in Community Engagement Phase 2.
The community engagement activities anticipated for this phase include:
The anticipated outcome of this phase is a vision statement for the new sports court.
The vision is co-created with the community to describe the ideal future park. It is a big-picture statement that should inspire everyone toward a common understanding of the project’s overall goals and objectives.
In this phase, the project team will build on the outcomes of Community Engagement Phase 1 to develop two design options for the new sports court(s). These options will be presented to the community for feedback, which will inform the development of a preferred design for the sports court. Consideration for noise mitigation and maintaining open green space will be prioritize through the design process.
In this phase, the project team will share the preferred design with the community on this page and through the project mailing list. The project will then move into the detailed design phase where the design team will work through the technical details and plans for the construction contractor.
The proposed court is situated north of the existing soccer field, near Roxton Road. George Ben Park is located between Ossington Avenue (to the west) and Roxton Road (to the east), north of Harrison Street and south of Shannon Street. Next to the east of George Ben Park is Fred Hamilton Playground, which extends toward Shaw Street. Pope Francis Catholic School is shown south of the soccer field. Nearby streets include Churchill Avenue and Ossington Crescent.