Lisa Harlock knew she had to find a hobby as she prepared to retire.
After some searching, she discovered pickleball.
“My husband and I had nothing in common and I was retiring, so we had to find something,” Harlock said with a laugh.
“So, we started playing pickleball. Now we’re fanatics, we love it.”
With the grand opening of Pickleplex Cambridge on Friday, they now also have a place to play right at home.
Harlock and her husband had been playing at Corte KW in Kitchener and at local recreation centres, but are happy to finally have a dedicated space in the city.
“It’s fantastic, we’re thrilled to have something in Cambridge,” Harlock said.
“We’re excited by the facility, all the courts, it’s great.”
The 12-court facility, located at 75 Dundas St N, has been in the works for months. Originally planned to open in the fall of 2025, permit issues and construction caused delays.
Pickleplex operates locations in Barrie, Belleville, North York, Oshawa, Pickering, Thornhill, Red Deer, Vaughan and Windsor.
Locations are also planned for Aurora, Brantford, Milton, Oakville, Peterborough and a second in North York.
Having a hub for the sport allows residents to enjoy physical activity and expand their social circles.
“The best part of pickleball is it’s a great way to stay active, you can be as competitive as you want and it’s highly social,” Harlock said.
“We’re excited to meet new people. We’ve met so many terrific people through pickleball.”
Those are all the reasons Pickleplex Cambridge owner Ramit Raj decided to open the facility in the first place.
Raj, like many, discovered the sport by chance.
He was travelling in the United States on vacation and first played on an open court. His nine-year-old son and wife joined him and quickly realized it was an easy game to pick up.
“It’s a community,” Raj said.
“Pickleball is all about community and it’s one of the most inclusive sports I’ve seen in my entire life. It’s not about your age, health, fitness level. You can come, play and have fun.”
Raj said he noticed plenty of people playing in the city but not a lot of options for places to play.
He made the commitment to change that.
“I want when they’re in Pickleplex Cambridge, it should be their best time of the day,” he said.
“I want people to come and have happy times here. I love people talking, laughing and smiling. That’s what we’re striving for.”
