Tennis Canada partners with City of Burnaby to build world-class tennis facility

Western Canada Tennis Centre to play a key role in developing tennis in Canada while benefiting the health and well being of Lower Mainland citizens

BURNABY, BC, Aug. 14, 2018 /CNW/ - Tennis Canada, in partnership with the City of Burnaby, is pleased to announce a partnership agreement that will see the development of the Western Canada Tennis Centre (WCTC).

The facility will be located within the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex and will house approximately 12 indoor courts and 12 outdoor courts. The facility will also feature ancillary training and fitness facilities including a strength and conditioning centre, a physiotherapy clinic, sport analytics room, along with change rooms.  

The state-of-the-art WCTC will be a multi-use tennis facility providing community access to a broad base of programs for all age groups and skills including persons with a disability, while also housing the junior national training program in Western Canada and a training program for top BC athletes, including wheelchair athletes.  

"This facility will see tennis being played by children, youth, families and seniors, regardless of their age, ability or aspiration. The WCTC will enhance Burnaby's reputation as Canada's leading sports and recreation city, and it will be a welcome addition to the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex," said Derek Corrigan, Mayor of Burnaby.

The centre will offer a much needed daily training environment for Tennis Canada's national junior training program and national wheelchair program. Community participants from Burnaby and the Lower Mainland will be able to train and play alongside some of Canada's best "next generation" tennis athletes.

"Tennis Canada and the City of Burnaby have a shared vision for a Western Canada Tennis Centre and today marks an important step in making that vision a reality," said Michael Downey, President and CEO, Tennis Canada. "The Lower Mainland is a hotbed for recreational tennis and adding more indoor courts will allow for greater year-round play. On behalf of Tennis Canada, I have the pleasure of thanking Mayor Corrigan and the City of Burnaby for becoming our doubles partner to grow the game and contribute to the future success of Canadian tennis."

"The Burnaby Lake Sports Complex is the perfect location for a Western Canada Tennis Centre and athletes from the Lower Mainland will benefit from the resources and programming. I look forward to returning home to train with some of Canada's "next generation" high-performance players," said Rebecca Marino, WTA player and resident of British Columbia. 

In the months ahead, design renderings and cost estimates will be developed along with a comprehensive fundraising campaign to support the facility.

About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, the National Bank Cup WTA event, 10 professional ITF-sanctioned events and financially supports 12 other professional tournaments in Canada.

Tennis Canada operates national junior training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development.

SOURCE Tennis Canada