Manitoba’s first-ever indoor pickleball facility is now open to the public. Players can rent the two courts at Pickle Haüs, which is located next to Prairie Badminton in Winnipeg’s Saint Boniface neighbourhood. According to Pickle Haüs co-owner Justin Friesen, the facility opened less than two weeks ago on Feb. 14 after a year-long process and a push from the community. “We had a lot of people asking about pickleball and wanting to play on our [badminton] courts,” said Friesen, who also co-owns Prairie Badminton. “They use the same lines, but it wasn’t quite suited for pickleball. So we thought, give it its own space.” The sport, which is similar to badminton, has been growing in size and popularity across North America. "In Manitoba, it's been building up and you can see that through Pickleball Manitoba memberships and tournament registrations,” Friesen said, adding that he’s noticed an increase in pickleball player drop-ins at community centres. According to Friesen, Pickle Haüs allows pickleball players to have a dedicated hub and gives them a chance to be surrounded by fellow sport enthusiasts. “It's very easy to know, ‘I can go there, and I can play pickleball,’” he said. Pickle Haüs already has a league organized by one of its players and the owners said they hope to offer drop-ins and competitive programming in the near future. “We're just trying to get our bearings first before we jump into that,” Friesen said. For those interested in renting a court, they can do so through the Pickle Haüs website.
