In the past eight years, the Halifax Regional Municipality has opened 80 pickleball courts, but recent budget concerns could put a halt to a possible regional outdoor facility, according to a new staff report. The report, which will be presented to the Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee, recommends the chief administrative officer take no further steps on the facility, which was expected to launch in Dartmouth. The report, which was originally started following a Halifax council motion in May 2025, noted the possible facility could cost $2 million, well outside the municipality’s 10-year capital plan. The report says the facility could only come together if council diverts attention from other projects or increases taxes. “Neither of these would be consistent with Regional Council’s overall budget directions,” the report reads. “On this basis, the municipality should rely on the existing provision of pickleball courts and any new smaller-scale courts that may be developed within new subdivisions as parkland dedication improvements rather than a new regional facility.” According to the report, there are 80 pickleball courts spread across 44 parks in the municipality. The courts can present challenges, including noise issues if they are located too close to residential areas. “Best practice research has found that pickleball courts work best as regional-sized facilities that are appropriately located from residences,” the report reads. The Dartmouth Pickleball Association showed interest in a regional facility and the report set out to identify potential locations. The report noted an area between central Dartmouth and Burnside was best suited for the development of a facility and cited two specific locations: Maybank Park on Mic Mac Boulevard and the Dartmouth Harbour East Recreation Campus between Commodore Drive and Garland Avenue. The committee will vote on the motion at their meeting on Thursday. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
