The sound of pickleball paddles striking whiffle balls likely won’t return to Virgil Sports Park this spring and summer, as the long-standing issue of noise complaints, which led to a prior two-year ban on pickleball at the Virgil courts, persists.
During a closed session of committee of the whole Tuesday, Niagara-on-the-Lake council decided to keep the courts closed while it works to provide pickleball players with access to an “appropriate” outdoor court this year.
Coun. Erwin Wiens said the town is closing the courts because it couldn’t find a solution to the noise issues that led to the ban from 2022 to 2024.
“We had tried everything we could to mitigate the noise and mitigate the issues and we’re just unsuccessful in doing that,” he said.
In 2022, a resident of the courts’ neighbouring Lambert’s Park condominiums took both the town and the NOTL Pickleball Club to court over what she described as excessive noise from the park.
A Welland court judge found both the town and the club in violation of the municipal noise bylaw and ordered the two-year probation on pickleball at the Virgil courts. The town and the club were each fined $1,000.
This latest closure has left the members of the NOTL Pickleball Club “surprised and disappointed,” said president Dragana Simao.
“They have been a valued recreational space for both our members and the broader community.”
Simao detailed the club’s efforts to reduce the noise levels after the ban was lifted.
“Sound barriers were installed, with financial contributions from the club,” she said. “In addition, the club reduced its scheduled play hours, particularly in the early mornings and evenings.”
“It’s also important to note that the courts were frequently used by the general public, including visitors to NOTL, reflecting the sport’s growing popularity.”
Wiens said the town would have to move “as quick as they can” to find a new location.
He said that despite the in-camera session, there is no pending legal action against the town. He said they went in camera because they were “going over what our legal responsibilities were” because of the past case against the town.
Council is expected to give final approval of the closure at its Feb. 24 meeting.
If council approves this latest decision, the town said it will look to provide “appropriate outdoor alternatives” for this year.
Simao said the club has 525 members. She said that “while we don’t have exact seasonal usage figures, the Virgil courts were regularly used by a significant number of members, in addition to community residents and visitors to NOTL.”
The courts were frequently used outside club-designated hours, she added.
Pickleball will remain available outdoors at Queenston Heights Park and indoors year-round at the NOTL Community Centre, as well as at Centennial Arena in the spring and summer.
By Daniel Smeenk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Feb 19, 2026 at 07:28
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