COWICHAN VALLEY REGIONAL DISTRICT
Regional Recreation Strategic Plan – March 2019
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During 2018/19 a regional recreation planning initiative was undertaken to assess the current state of recreation in the region and strategically plan for the future. The final phase of this planning initiative was to develop a Regional Recreation Strategic Plan that will guide future service delivery and collaborations. Those areas where pickleball was noted are presented below:
Recreation Participation and Activity Trends (Provincial and National) - Page 6
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Concerning physical activity levels, especially among children and youth cohorts. (Only 9% of Canadian kids aged 5 to 17 get the 60 minutes of suggested physical activity they need each day).
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Increasing demand for spontaneous / unstructured recreational opportunities while participation in many organized sports has stagnated or declined.
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Shift in older adult recreation preferences from passive to more active and multi-generational pursuits (fitness classes, pickleball, and hiking)
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Quality and timing of programming continues to be an important factor in participation.
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Facility and Amenity Strategies - Page 35 and 36
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Outlined in the following chart are strategies specific to a number of key facility and amenity types. It is important to note that any new capital development identified as a future possibility will require further study and should be carefully analyzed using the planning tools provided in Section 8.
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Specialty Spaces
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Continue to monitor trends in recreation.
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Consider conducting a regional study to assess potential options and approaches to meeting pickleball needs.
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Use the planning tools identified in Section 8 to assess potential specialty space initiatives and analyze requests from community groups.
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Consider actions and initiatives for pickleball based on the options and approaches identified in the suggested study.
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Recreation is continually evolving and requires providers to remain current on trends. Pickleball continues to emerge as an activity of choice.