Ottawa residents invited to serve up opinions on future use of pickleball and tennis courts

People play pickleball on the new court in Mallorytown, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Pickleball or tennis? The city of Ottawa is asking players to serve and volley their opinions on the future use of courts in the city.

With pickleball the fastest growing sport in North America and demand for court space increasing across Ottawa, the city says it has identified the need for an outdoor tennis and pickleball strategy to ensure that players have access to both sports.

The city launched a public opinion survey on Saturday to help create a strategy that will serve as a reference guide for management, oversight and development of public and municipal club-operated outdoor tennis and pickleball courts.

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The city of Ottawa currently operates over 500 outdoor tennis and pickleball courts, including combination courts.

Earlier this year, pickleball games were shut down at the Manotick Tennis Club's outdoor courts in Centennial Park after complaints about the noise.  The sound from the paddles and plastic balls had some residents calling for game over on the courts.

"It's like constant pop, pop, pop," one resident living near the court said.

The Manotick Tennis Club first converted tennis courts into pickleball courts in 2018 as a pilot project.

The survey on the outdoor tennis and pickleball court public engagement plan will be available until Dec. 31. You can fill out the survey here.