The Vancouver Tennis Society has received word from the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation that the tennis courts at Oak Park South will be unavailable for play during the construction of the new Marpole Community Centre and Oakridge Community Centre, which will likely be until 2026.
The tennis courts are not being demolished as may appear to be the case by the construction going on, but are rather being replaced by tennis courts in the Northwest corner of the property as part of the re-construction project.
Link for details about the project: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/marpole-community-centre-renewal.aspx
Layout of the park after construction: https://vancouver.ca/images/cov/content/marpole-schematic-master-plan.jpg
The public tennis courts at Oak Park South are dedicated to Lorne Main, a beloved Canadian tennis player from Vancouver who passed away in 2019. Here is a wikipedia article about Lorne Main. Among his accomplishments are being inducted into the British Columbia Sport Hall of Fame in 1975, and the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.
We will keep the community updated about any changes to these plans. For those wishing to find available playing locations nearby, there is Eburne Park which boasts 4 tennis courts nearby, and the courts at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary school.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation at https://vancouver.ca/your-government/contact-park-board.aspx
Author: nickt
President of the Vancouver Tennis Society