The Bathurst Pickleball Club and its members can boast of having pioneered the development of the sport in New Brunswick simultaneously with a small group of players from the Saint John area. The concerted efforts of these two entities gave birth to Pickleball NB.
It was the “snowbirds” returning from Florida who brought pickleball to Bathurst around the year 2010 and 2011. Joe and Pat Flynn were the first around Bathurst practicing the sport on a bumpy and cracked old tennis court graciously offered to them by Danny’s Inn. In the beginning, a good dozen followers joined in which made the site much too small for the increasing demand.
The City of Bathurst was then called upon. The Grove Hill site, a former tennis court, was developed and used for a few seasons. Previously, the Pavilion, a gymnasium built for the 2003 Canada Games, was the perfect place to play pickleball and is our primary facility to date. In 2017, Centennial Park was offered to us and it was laid out with six superb and highly frequented outdoor courts.
In 2017 the club presented itself as a force when a group of its players travelled to Montreal for the Quebec Provincial Championships "Le Grand Tournoi". Ten players won 11 medals, including 5 gold. Members have participated in many of the big tournaments including the New Brunswick and Canada Senior Games and the Canadian National Championships.
The club has promoted pickleball in northern New Brunswick by holding and facilitating many clinics, demonstrations, and introductory sessions at schools in Saint Quentin, Campbellton, Shippagan and Miramichi. It has also hosted several tournaments drawing top players from the Maritimes.
In 2019 the Club adopted an administrative structure; a Code of Conduct and a Constitution were written and contributed greatly to its development. The Bathurst Pickleball Club now has more than 250 members, many of whom were trained at the “Sunday School of Gérald and Irène Thériault.” The Club has served and continues to serve as a model of competitiveness and excellence for many other communities.
- Hector Hachey
