Great news Feasibility Study is on!!

Sept 19, 2011 Coquitlam City Council carried unanimously the following motion:

That Council:

1. Direct staff to proceed with a Feasibility Study and options to develop indoor/outdoor tennis facilities that could provide tournament level capability and an analysis of potential sites for future consideration

2. Approve a project budget of $10,000 from the Capital Fund to complete the Feasibility Study, subject to matching funds being allocated from Tennis Canada

Yeah!

Tonight may look like a small step, but to us at NETS it's huge. It's been 5 long years since Johan De Vaal's compelling presentation to Coquitlam Council received a pretty cool reception. Since then, under Johan's leadership, we formed an advocacy society (NETS), raised awareness in the community of the value of tennis and the need for a public indoor facility, helped grow the sport of tennis amongst young people, networked with stakeholders, and became familiar faces to Coquitlam City Councillors....and,to-night, success! All Councillors supported the motion; staff have been directed to work with us; the City approved the expenditure of funds on behalf of tennis; and Councillor Macdonell made some warm,supportive comments about tennis and NETS ( and he's a soccer guy!!).

We know that our success to-night has much to do with Tennis Canada's willingness to put money on the table...so thank you Tennis Canada, and a big thank you to Ryan Clark at Tennis BC!! A big thank-you also to Lori MacKay (General Manager) and Jim Charlebois (Planning Manager) at the City's Parks, Recreation and Culture Department for their support in recommending to-night's motion to Council. NETS looks forward to the collaborative work ( and play) ahead!

Of course my thank you list must include NETS Treasurer,Kiyo Breiting, for her untiring efforts in the cause... a special thank you Kiyo!!!

Jeanette MacLean

President, NETS 

Who We Are:

The North East Tennis Society is a registered non-profit organization whose primary mission is to promote and facilitate the establishment of an affordable and accessible public indoor racquet sports facility in the north east sector of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Its efforts are supported by local tennis clubs (Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Peoples Courts Academy),Tennis B.C., Tennis Canada, the B.C. Wheelchair Tennis Association,  Douglas College, School District #43, and the Glen Pine Seniors Association.

What We Want:

NETS is seeking a three- way partnership between itself (as the operating agency), the City of Coquitlam (through the donation of land) and the local business community (through capital funding) to achieve its objective of a public indoor tennis facility. It proposes that this could be most simply and efficiently achieved by covering four of the current outdoor tennis courts sited at Coquitlam Town Centre Park, and by upgrading the facilities at that site. It envisions that such a facility would have the capacity for four tennis courts, a change room, a meeting room, a viewing and a reception area. Because of the growing popularity of tennis in the Tri-Cities, we envision the City of Coquitlam adding 4 outdoor courts at the same site