The new indoor pickleball facility coming to Winnipeg

The Pickleball Club of Winnipeg facility in Headingley is seen in an undated image under construction, and is set to open in 2025. (Nicholas Rush)

Pickleball enthusiasts in Winnipeg will have a new facility to call their own in the new year.

The Pickleball Club of Winnipeg is opening an indoor facility dedicated solely to the fast-growing sport at 500 Caron Road in Headingley.

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Nicholas Rush, club president, said the facility is a long-time coming for the city.

"There has been a demand for this for a while," he said.

Pickleball, a mix of tennis and ping pong using paddles and a wiffleball, has seen explosive growth in recent years. According to Pickleball Canada, an estimated 1.3 million Canadians are playing pickleball at least once a month.

"Just the way the game is developed, the rules that are in place, it makes it really easy to learn and really easy to get good enough that you can actually play and have fun and get a little bit of a workout," Rush said.

While there are multiple outdoor pickleball courts in Winnipeg, indoor space has been harder to come by. Some tennis facilities in Winnipeg added pickleball courts to facilitate the desire for more space.

Headingley will have eight indoor courts, a pro shop, and plans to hold classes and camps. There is also the possibility of expansion with more outdoor courts.

Rush, who coached badminton and squash for more than 20 years, loves the sport, saying it can appeal to all ages.

"Pickleball is growing, we know that," he said. "It has grown very quickly at the senior and older adult level. This next wave of growth now is in the 25 to 55 (age range) and a big push for this specifically, I think, will be to keep that trend going lower and really develop in the youth."

A soft opening will take place in January, with the goal of having the facility fully open to the public by February.