The tennis court on the corner of Brunswick Street and Bemister Ave E in Melfort remains locked, even after the province approved municipalities to re-open their outdoor tennis and pickle ball courts (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

By Aaron Schulze

No 'Service' Yet

Northeast communities to ‘hold’ restrictions on tennis courts

May 31, 2020 | 8:00 AM

When it comes to re-opening outdoor tennis courts in Saskatchewan, some northeast communities are in their “match point.”

On Thursday, May 28, the Government of Saskatchewan gave municipalities approval to open outdoor tennis and pickleball courts “at the discretion of the facility operator as an individual outdoor activity following the (physical distancing and other safety) guidelines.”

However, some communities were still under the impression that re-opening tennis courts were under Phase Four of the province’s Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan. Phase Four has yet to have a set date.

Brent Lutz, the City of Melfort’s director of development planning and community relations, said the city’s tennis courts will remain closed for the time being.

“Whenever you are going to re-open something as permitted within these various phases, you are required to manage them within the current COVID-19 restrictions,” Lutz said. “You have to make sure people are maintaining social distance and the group is no larger than 10. At present, we have no mechanism by which to manage those outdoor spaces and still conform with the restrictions. The re-opening across the province is going to be a process that we’re all learning as we go; we haven’t done this before.”