Kitchen Sink Newsletter November 2025 Edition
Pictured above a draft layout of The Nest/SDP (Steve Deakin Pickleball) Pickleball facility to be opened April 2026 in between Tsawwassen and Ladner BC, two communities surrounded by farming and fishing history – see our Important Announcement below
The Kitchen Sink November Edition, Pickleball BC (“PBC”) President’s Introduction
Welcome to the November edition of our Kitchen Sink Newsletter where we have a major announcement to make today.
PBC is extremely pleased to announce that the PBC Tournament Committee and our Board of Directors have awarded the hosting of our 2026 Pickleball BC Provincial Championships to The Nest/Steve Deakin Pickleball (“SDP”). Save the dates of Wednesday, July 22nd to Sunday, July 26th when the Championships will be held at their new facilities near Tsawwassen BC pictured above!
We have more details of this announcement below in my President’s Report and in our PBC website News story here but suffice it to say that having The Nest/SDP as our hosts in their new indoor modern purpose-built pickleball facility will be a Championship to look forward to.
Also in this Edition: Calls for expressions of interest for those who would like to be considered to join our PBC Board at elections in our next AGM in February 2026 – details below; another reminder that PBC membership dues are going up from $7.50/year to $10/year as at January 1st, unless you sign up prior as below; BC players’ successes at the World Cup Fort Lauderdale with 68 countries competing; a “From Our Clubs” story from Nanaimo Pickleball Club; our PBC YouTube channel and more uploads; and, other updates regarding News, Policy reports and Kitchen Corners updates.
Enjoy all the new news and updates in our November Kitchen Sink Newsletter and see you on the courts – with your eyewear protection!
David Snell
President Pickleball BC
President@PickleballBC.ca
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News From Our Clubs
Photo: Patty Tougas (blue long sleeve); Melissa Lavoie (black vest), Director, Loaves and Fishes Community (local food bank); and Stephanie Nash, Tournament Director (grey hoodie).
Nanaimo Pickleball Club’s Patty Tougas Spearheading 1st Annual “Pickle for Hunger” Tournament
Nanaimo Pickleball Club’s Patty Tougas is at the forefront of Pickle for Hunger 2025, a signature charity tournament taking place on November 15, 2025 at the Oliver Woods Community Centre.
<Click link to read more.>
• Pickle For Hunger
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President’s Report
ANNOUNCMENT OF IMPORTANCE: 2026 Pickleball BC Provincial Championships to be Hosted by The Nest/Steve Deakin Pickleball (“SDP”)
As introduced above, PBC has awarded the 2026 BC Pickleball Championships to The Nest/SDP where the event will run from Wednesday, July 22nd to Sunday, July 26th 2026 in the new facility adjacent to Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Centre, Tsawwassen, BC. The Nest in collaboration with BC’s winning professional MLP Las Vegas Night Owls coach and PPA Tour competitor Steve Deakin (Steve Deakin Pickleball (SDP)) will open Spring 2026 with its 98,000-square-foot and will be the largest indoor pickleball center and sports facility in British Columbia.
Steve Deakin stated: “We look forward to working closely with Pickleball BC to deliver an event that prioritizes and elevates the athlete experience. We are incredibly excited to welcome players of all ages and skill levels to The Nest and to showcase the amenities that make our facility such a special place to play.”
Founding partner Lorne Loiselle adds: “We are extremely excited to announce that we have been awarded the 2026 BC Provincial Pickleball Championships. Our purpose-built facility is an ideal fit for this event, and we are confident that The Nest and Steve Deakin Pickleball will continue to build upon the exceptional work of previous Provincial Hosts and Pickleball BC. We look forward to delivering an outstanding tournament experience for players, spectators, and the entire pickleball community.”
Please see more details on our BC Championships including but not limited to the planned format, registration opening dates, events and planned social activities here.
PBC Board Director’s Expressions of Interest and Part Time PBC Administrator
Given current Board member end of term vacancies, we are seeking expressions of interest from qualified members who may wish to serve on our Board of Directors. Once vetted, these candidates would be presented to our members at our upcoming AGM in February 2026 (date to be confirmed) for election to a 2-year term. We are particularly interested in potential Board members (who may also join one of our existing Committees) in the following general areas from all BC geographies:
- Legal background in commercial or business areas
- Provincial and/or municipal Government liaison experience
- Policy and Governance background
- Board Secretary to help with Board meeting minutes (although we use AI to help), meeting organization, Reports organization, Board and Director governance and other related tasks
Given our growth to 21,000+ members and 101+ affiliated clubs and organizations, we are also looking for a part-time qualified person to help with administrative functions to assist the Board (not Board Secretary as above) and our several Committees. This is a part time paid position and will be remote-based. Experience and solid technical skills with software applications like Zoom, Google, MS Office and Workspaces will be important as well as an administrative duties background.
All enquiries please reach out to President@PIckleballBC.ca.
PBC/PCO 2026 Membership Fees Increasing
As announced previously, our PBC membership fees are going up from $7.50/year to $10/year as of January 1st 2026. This reflects our effort to provide more support for our 8 Strategic Objectives that we have been following under our PBC Strategic Plan. Also this is more in line with other provinces and in fact one of the lower provincial fees in Canada.
And better yet, if you purchase a 2026 membership prior to December 31st 2025, you only pay the current fee of $7.50 and it covers you through the rest of 2025 and all of 2026!
Our Canadian Team who won Bronze at the World Cup left and the entire team in the “Walk By” at The Fort in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Eight BC Players (6 from our BC Provincial Team) Play for Canada at the World Cup
The Canadian World Cup Team overall had a very successful World Cup appearance. In the semifinals, the Canadian Senior Team (pictured above left) pushed Team USA (overall Gold winners) to a Dreambreaker and later won Bronze. Also the Canadian Open Team made it to the Round of 8, and the Junior Team secured a strong 4th place finish. The other Silver podium winner was Hong Kong.
See more Team Canada photographs and watch videos on our YouTube channel here.
The BC players, sponsored by Pickleball BC (“PBC”) in their World Cup appearance, included: Open Team Players Caelan Sampson (Langley), Casey Rodgers (Kamloops), and Michael McCaffery (Surrey); Senior Team players Maggie Murch (North Vancouver), Margit Aardmaa (Coquitlam), and Robin D’Abreo (Port Coquitlam); Olivia Hui (Richmond) on the Junior Team; and, coach Tim MacVinnie (Coquitlam). See more in our News Story here.
Kitchen Corners Reports. Updates on Memberships and Refereeing as noted above. The Kitchen Corners segment from Doug McKay (Board member responsible for Facilities) about all the new facility projects coming in next month’s newsletter.
Finally, please send your Club stories and pics for consideration in our monthly “From our Clubs” segment, or if you can share some of your Club event pics for possible inclusion on our PBC website or Instagram, we would really appreciate it – for consideration please send them to Marcom@PickleballBC.ca.
This Newsletter contains plenty of new news which I hope you can enjoy. All comments and contributions are very welcome!
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David Snell, President
PICKLEBALL BC ASSOCIATION
President@PickleballBC.ca
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News From Our Clubs:
Nanaimo Pickleball Club’s Patty Tougas Spearheading 1st Annual “Pickle for Hunger” Tournament
Photo: Melissa Lavoie (black vest), MA, CFP, Director of Philanthropy and Revenue Generation, Loaves and Fishes Community; Stephanie Nash (grey hoodie), Tournament Director; and Patty Tougas (blue long sleeve).
October 29, 2025 (Nanaimo, BC) – Nanaimo Pickleball Club’s Patty Tougas is at the forefront of Pickle for Hunger 2025, a signature charity tournament taking place on November 15, 2025 at the Oliver Woods Community Centre. The event will feature men’s, women’s and mixed doubles across eight courts, with cash donations benefitting food bank Loaves and Fishes’ efforts to help the hungry.
Tougas first spoke with Nanaimo Pickleball Club’s (NPC) president about the idea of Pickle For Hunger a year ago. It had been a dream of hers to organize a charity pickleball tournament in Nanaimo that gave back to the local community.
For years, Tougas has been involved in Thanksgiving and other food drives for the Food Bank in both Vancouver and Nanaimo. Over time, she has found that the time, gas, and effort spent collecting and delivering food mean that donations yield only about a 10% return. That, and several other factors, have resulted in encouragement for cash donations that allow for a much larger return on the amount of food that can be purchased and distributed.
“Hunger is a real issue in our community,” explained Tougas. “We want to make a difference. That’s why we’re partnering with Loaves & Fishes, a local food bank that can turn every dollar donated into five dollars worth of food! With your help, we can make a huge impact at a critical time of year.”
When developing the event’s tournament format, club members came up with the idea of a Major League Pickleball-style tournament with a twist that will be “fun, as well as challenging,” added Tougas.
Tougas hopes to have Pickle for Hunger become an annual, fun event that promises yearly support to Nanaimo’s hungry. Long-term, she hopes it evolves into a widespread effort with involvement from pickleball clubs across the Island.
All proceeds from the Pickle For Hunger tournament—less the cost of gym time—will go toward Loaves & Fishes. NPC has donated tournament balls, while NPC board member Donna Poburan has made medals. The group is now consulting with Oliver Woods Community Centre to begin planning for next year’s edition.
Pickle for Hunger Event Details
Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Oliver Woods Community Centre
Divisions: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed 3.0, Mixed 3.5+
Sign up/Volunteer: Contact Patty Tougas at (604) 831-7624.
What some people have said …
“I’ve been in other charity tournaments before but not one for the Hungry and helping the Food Bank – I like that idea!”
“Our club is wanting to plan a charity tournament in Jan and we love the idea!”
“I don’t want to play in it but I’d love to volunteer.”
“I may not be able to play but I will donate to the cause for sure.”
Content from their Media Release and submitted by Patty Tougas.
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Kitchen Corners: By The Numbers
November 2025 Membership Report
As of November 8th 2025, there are 21,400 active BC members. Just under 500 more than last month. There were 1,595 memberships processed in October 2025. This is similar to last month, by 629. There has been 1,117 renewals and 478 new memberships processed. This month’s numbers show a significant increase in renewal memberships. This was expected since members are registering for the Winter Season (indoor) for many clubs. The next spike will probably occur in December when many clubs start registration for the 2026 summer season.
Pickleball Canada (“PCO”) has published National statistics for the month of October 2025. Here are the highlights:
- PCO’s membership still represents 0.19% of the total population.
- Yukon’s membership represents the largest number of members compared to total population at 0.59%.
- PEI’s membership represents the second largest number of members compared to total population at 0.56%.
- PCO’s membership grew 12% from the same period in 2025 (October 2024 – October 2025).
- Manitoba saw the most significant growth at 41% from 2024 to 2025.
- BC’s membership grew by 6% from October 2024 to October 2025 and remained with the second most members in Canada at 24.6%, with Ontario having slightly more.
See you on the courts.
Blair Morton
PBC Registrar
Registrar@PickleballBC.ca
Thinking of Joining—Follow The Link!
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Kitchen Corners: Head Referee Corners
Referees’ Responsibilities
A referee has many responsibilities when he/she is officiating in a pickleball match. Many players think a referee only has to call the score and watch the court lines for faults.
The following are the Primary Responsibilities that an official has to follow:
1. Interpret and enforce the rules.
2. Accurately record the match on the scoresheet.
3. Announce the correct score for each rally.
4. Speak clearly and audibly. Use a clear, distinct, and measured cadence when making calls and announcements.
5. Ensure that the server and receiver are the correct players in the correct positions for each rally.
6. Call service, non-volley zone (NVZ), short serve, and other faults.
7. Maintain control and keep the match moving efficiently.
8. Resolve disputes.
9. Enforce fair play and sportsmanship by issuing verbal warnings, technical warnings, and technical fouls, as appropriate.
10. Rule on line calls when appealed by a player or not seen by a line judge.
11. Make sure that the court environment is safe for play.
Referees also must adhere to a Code of Conduct. I will not mention all of them, but I wanted to bring your attention to item number one in this Code:
1. ALWAYS enforce all rules impartially, fairly, and consistently, even if you do not agree with a particular rule or if your ruling is made at a critical time (eg: a fault called on match point).
Why do I mention this one? Over the years, I have often witnessed referees or umpires in various sports make calls that are based on the score in the game, or the number of faults (penalties, infractions) called on a particular player or team. This should never be the case. Just because one player or team has had a lot of infractions called on them, the referee should not try to ‘even it up’, or not call the same infraction again because they had a number of the same faults earlier in the match. In the same vein, because a player or team is losing badly in a match, they should not be observed more ‘lightly’. A referee does not do anybody a favour by not calling all infractions consistently. It is not the referee’s job to ‘even up’ a match or call infractions according to the ability of the player or team. Enforce the rules impartially, fairly and consistently.
Rick Folk
Head Referee
HeadReferee@PickleballBC.ca
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Sponsorships
We urge you to support and thank all our sponsors at every opportunity—they are listed throughout our website and in this newsletter. Sponsorships can help to defray the cost of hosting our website, sending this newsletter and also of supporting the running and promoting of tournaments and clinics.
Opportunities exist for businesses and individuals, starting at $50.00 to sponsor and support pickleball in British Columbia—details on our Sponsor Program page or contact Marcom@PickleballBC.ca.
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Website or Newsletter
As always we are delighted to receive suggestions and/or contributions of content for the website and future newsletters. Send to Marcom@PickleballBC.ca.
David Snell
President, Pickleball BC (Association)
President@PickleballBC.ca
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