Aurora council greenlights investigating options for indoor tennis facility

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 10, 2015
By Teresa Latchford

Aurora council has agreed to look at options for the provision of an indoor tennis facility.

Waiving procedure, members of council agreed to bring the motion, penned by Mayor Geoff Dawe, directing staff to provide a report providing further information on what is needed to bring an indoor tennis facility to the town.

“I want to make sure this isn’t just an informational report and that we will be able to make a decision when this comes back,” Councillor Tom Mrakas said.

Town staff confirmed the report would list options for council to consider.

In 2013, the town issued a request for proposals for the design, construction, operation and financing of an all-season, multi-purpose tennis facility at Stewart Burnett Park, adjacent to the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex.

However, in 2014, council decided to return the report and asked staff to look into a rigid structure rather than an air-supported bubble.

No progress has been made since.

“I do think council missed the boat on this one the first time around when we could have had the facility built for free and put it on hold to look at an option that would cost us,” Councillor Paul Pirri said. “I’m looking forward to taking another look at this.”

Kevin Carter, local tennis enthusiast and creator of tennisinaurora.ca, told council 400 people have already participated in the vote “yes” for tennis in Aurora initiative. He is collecting data through the website that he plans to share with the town early in 2016.

The long-time resident came to town with his family when he was only five and his parents were one of the first to become members of what is now the Timberlane Athletic Club.

Now 45, Carter admits he is saddened that, come 2016, Aurora will no longer have indoor tennis courts and many children might not experience the same joy and love of the game at an early age.

“It’s one of those sports that anyone, ages eight to 80, can enjoy,” he said. “These lost indoor courts are something that need to be replaced.”

He believes in the sport so strongly that he has taken it upon himself to create a website - tennisinaurora.ca - to help connect tennis lovers and work with public and private sectors to find a way to bring indoor tennis back to the community.

“Players are turning to other municipalities to find a place to play and most of those facilities are at capacity already,” he added. “We would play anywhere right now.”

The town has proclaimed this the Year of Sport and is working to make it the most active community in Canada.

“I do believe a tennis-only facility is viable in Aurora since Timberlane is profitable,” he said. “But even if the town doesn’t run the facility, it will need support, such as a donation of land.”

Carter encourages residents to visit his website and vote, “yes” to show policy makers there is a need for an indoor facility.

His words and those of others in the tennis community have not fallen on deaf ears.