Fairgrounds, Toronto’s Hippest Pickleball Club, Just Landed in North Van

My mother-in-law has been trying to get me to play pickleball for years, but the timing has never been quite right to hit the courts together. So I’m not sure how she’ll feel when she finds out that I finally picked up a paddle without her—and that, as she suspected, I fell instantly in love with the sport.

Will she be pleased to be right? Or annoyed that it took an invite to the cool, colourful new Fairgrounds pickleball club in North Vancouver to get me to give it a whirl? Either way: now I’m pickleball-pilled and she’ll have to meet me on Fairgrounds’ candy-pink courts for an apology I didn’t listen to her sooner.

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If you, like me, are a pseudo-jock with a penchant for both friendly competition and playful branding, Fairgrounds may be your gateway to #picklelife, too. The 60,000 square foot space is the first West Coast location for the growing brand of public racket clubs, founded by a team including the founder of Toronto’s Stackt Market and cannabis brand Superette (the other 10 clubs are in the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and Alberta).

The North Van edition has taken over a former Sears at Capilano Mall; the sprawling room features 15 indoor pickleball courts, each painted in vibrant (extremely Instagrammable) hues.

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If and when you need a break from chasing a ball around (but definitely not stepping into “the kitchen,” am I right, fellow pickleballers?!) there’s also a lounge area for watching more pickleball on the big screen; unisex changing stalls equipped with colourful high-school-style lockers; and an appealing little merch shop—think picklegear from brands like Wilson alongside trendy merch like retro-cool crewnecks and stylishly baggy sweatshorts in candy-apple reds and lavenders. (And coming soon: gym equipment, as well as in-house food and beverage stands, including a presence from North Van brewery Beere.)

Unlike many other racket or golf clubs, there’s no sign-up fee to join. And while you can purchase memberships (monthly, six-month and annual passes are available, with varying perks), there’s also always the option to drop in for $15 an hour, whatever your ability. Put together a group of friends to book a court together, or get paired up with a new pickle pal looking for a friendly match. There’s even kids programming in the works, if you’re ready to get the whole family into the all-ages pasttime.

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Anyone who’s been kicked off a tennis court by a bunch of wiffle-ball-wielding pickleheads knows that the sport has exploded in the past few years—a recent Pickleball Canada survey revealed that there’s been a 57 percent increase in pickleball participation since 2022 alone. How much of that can be attributed to Fairgrounds growth in the Canadian market and how much is due to my mother-in-law’s personal evangelizing? I can’t say. But I’m excited to be counted among the pickleball converts the next time PC collects some data—especially if they’re doing the counting while I’m hanging out at “the club.”

Fairgrounds opening weekend is December 12 and 14, with free play and programming from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; special “founding member” deals are on now, too. 935 Marine Dr., North Vancouver