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LOOKING AHEAD 2024: New pickleball facility part of Newmarket's record investment in recreation

Town is increasing taxes an extra one percentage point to pay for future recreational amenities amid hike in construction costs

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 3, 2024
Lisa Queen

The Newmarket Pickleball Club launched on May 1, and without any advertising or recruitment efforts quickly grew to 400 members, a thrilled president Debra Scott says.

She’s hoping that by next winter, players will be taking their paddles over to George Richardson Park on Bayview Parkway to play North America’s fastest growing sport at a new facility being built by the town in 2024.

The facility will include 14 to 20 courts, a clubhouse and likely a bubble to extend the playing season.

“It’s exciting. It will be, I will venture to say, the first of its kind in York Region,” said Scott, adding the facility will expand Newmarket’s sports tourism industry and bring money into town through events such as provincial tournaments.

The facility is just one of the recreational improvements for Newmarket in 2024 as the town continues with a 10-year plan to make record investments in parks, trails and public spaces.

“I always have been and remain a proponent or a strong believer in shared public spaces as the core of a great community. And in particular, shared outdoor public spaces,” Mayor John Taylor said.

Residents will see their taxes increase an extra one percentage point in 2024 as part of the overall 3.99 tax hike to provide future recreational amenities.

While Taylor said council is aware some residents are facing tough economic times, he said the added funds will help offset a significant spike in construction costs coming out of the pandemic and will ensure the town continues to provide needed recreational services.

“COVID really brought that home for me, for council, for communities, for the public, that the ability to stay healthy, to stay active, outdoors in particular but indoors as well, I think has become more important to people and to our community than ever before,” he said.

“I think the vast majority of people… want to see us continue to build an amazing community with all the recreation possibilities we planned to do originally and they would want us to see it through.”

Newmarket’s taxes continue to be 10 per cent lower than the average property taxes in the Greater Toronto Area, Taylor said.

Here are park, trail and open space initiatives residents can look forward to in 2024:

Construction will begin on the Mulock Park at the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Mulock Drive, the largest project in the town’s history. The 16-acre park, expected to open in 2026, will feature a wide variety of amenities and a renovated historic Mulock House to include rotating Art Gallery of Ontario of Canadian and Indigenous art.
Construction will begin on a new tennis centre in the Shining Hill neighbourhood being built west of Yonge Street.
Planning of Hollingsworth Park on the site of the former Hollingsworth Arena at Davis Drive and Patterson Street. Amenities for the significant park will be determined in consultation with residents.
Continued construction and possible completion of the Mulock Multi-Use Path from Bathurst Street to Harry Walker Parkway. It is the largest trail undertaken in town for many years and will act as the east/west equivalent to the north/south Tom Taylor Trail.
Advancing or finalizing plans for an outdoor arena at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.
Building of a number of playgrounds and sports pads throughout the town over the next couple of years.

Scott is pleased to see Newmarket’s investment in recreation.

“I would say that as a long-term resident of Newmarket, it’s imperative that the municipality continues to fund recreation as priorities within the municipality as well as being fiscally responsible. That sometimes is a difficult goal to achieve,” she said.

“To the credit of the Town of Newmarket, they have been one of the most fiscally responsible in the area over a number of years. And yet, you can’t stop doing everything simply to not spend any money. That would be like letting your house fall into disrepair because you don’t want to spend any money on it.”