Pickleball in Canada explained

Pickleball in Canada
Union:	Pickleball Canada Organization
Sport:	Pickleball
Registered:	70,000 ^[1]

Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis,^[2] was invented in the United States in 1965, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. In 2023 Pickleball Cananda commissioned a report on pickleball participation in Canada and it was found that 1.37 million Canadians played pickleball at least once per month. Picklebal Canada's membership numbers increased from 31,312 in 2022, to 53,143 in 2023, and in 2024 surpassed 70,000.^[3]

Governing body

The Pickleball Canada Organization (PCO), originally the Canadian National Pickleball Association, was formed in April 2009. Although not yet recognized by Sport Canada, it has become the de facto national governing body for the sport.^[4]

The PCO has Provincial & Territorial associations with the following regional organizations:

• Yukon - Yukon Pickleball Association
• British Columbia - Pickleball BC
• Alberta - Pickleball Alberta
• Manitoba - Pickleball Manitoba
• Ontario - Pickleball Ontario
• Quebec - Pickleball Quebec
• New Brunswick - Pickleball New Brunswick - Pickleball Nouveau-Brunswick
• Nova Scotia - Pickleball Nova Scotia
• Newfoundland and Labrador - Pickleball Newfoundland and Labrador

Professional tours & leagues

Canadian National Pickleball League: The CNPL was announced on February 1, 2023, and held its inaugural season in the same year.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Vollmin . Val . Message from the President Val Vollmin . Pickleball Canada . Pickleball Canada Organization . 31 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240914120706/https://pickleballcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/July-EN.pdf . September 14, 2024.
2. Web site: The Essential Rules of Pickleball: A Quick Overview . 2024-09-10 . Team Pickleball . en.
3. Web site: Pickleball Canada Celebrates 70,000 Members . Pickleball Canada . Pickleball Canada . 31 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240718160548/https://pickleballcanada.org/pickleball-canada-celebrates-70000-members/ . July 18, 2024 . July 18, 2024.
4. Web site: Houpt . Simon . Pickleball in a pickle: Plan to form national organization thrown into disarray . The Globe and Mail . The Globe and Mail, Inc. . 31 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231208080853/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-trouble-in-pickleball-land/ . December 8, 2023 . August 27, 2023.
5. Web site: Howarth . Adam . Canadian National Pickleball League Announces Inaugural Season . Pickleball Union . Pickleball Union . 31 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240616213410/https://pickleballunion.com/canadian-national-pickleball-league-inaugural-season/ . June 16, 2024 . May 2, 2023.