Cortes Island's Proposed Multi-Use Sports Court

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) has partnered with several local sports to build a multi-use sport court beside the Cortes Island Skate Park. The proposed facility would consist of two courts on a 60 foot by 60 feet concrete or asphalt square. It could be used for pickleball, basketball, volleyball, badminton and tennis.

According to Cora Moret, Executive Director of the SCCA, there is currently a complete lack of sports courts on Cortes Island. 

On October 2, she gave an overview of the project in a letter to the Strathcona Regional District. Moret wrote that the Cortes Island Pickleball Society (CIPS) approached the SCCA about the project last year. Pickleball is currently played on a small asphalt area behind the Cortes Island school. The surface is not ideal for court sports and cannot be used during school hours. Since then, the SCCA has been approached by youth and adult basketball groups. 

In June, the SCCA set up a Pickleball Committee headed by Board member Ruth Barrett. The committee considered various locations and configurations before recommending the area beside the Skateboard Park. 

Moret wrote, “CIPS has developed a provisional budget for the project and potential sources of revenue to pay for the expected $190,000 project. The major expenses (substrate material and concrete work) will be revised once the site is cleared and contractors can evaluate the work. For revenue, in addition to a potential grant from the SRD Community Works Fund, CIPS members and supporters will donate generously through the Cortes Island Community Foundation and SCCA. In-kind contributions of labour and expertise will be requested from island suppliers and contractors and other funding grants will be sought. The BC Gaming Capital Projects Grant will be applied for in 2025 and may match up to 50% of the total project costs, including documented in-kind contributions.” 

She also sent the SRD a provisional budget detailing the estimated costs and sources of revenue. 

The SCCA hopes to obtain a $50,000 grant from the SRD Community Works Fund, which is often referred to as the gas tax. 

At the SRD Board’s October 30 meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesch moved “that a report on providing $50,000 of community works funding for the building of a multi use sports court on the Southern Cortes Community Associations property be prepared for further consideration by the Electoral Area Services Committee (EASC).” 

Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott responded, “I just want to hear a little bit more about the staffing requirements and the use of the community works fund with respect to a specified recreational project like this. If staff can give me any idea of how common this is, or if this is traditional use and how that affects the regional  development of recreation.” 

Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “Recreation in itself is allowable for the community works funds, but there's a number of new rules and complications with non government organizations in terms of ongoing management, operational funds, asset management, land ownership, etc. As well with the new community works fund rules, it cannot replace another piece of infrastructure that the regional district either has or is on its list of infrastructure upgrades. For example, if you have a series of recreation, inner recreation, infrastructure projects that you're not providing gas tax in lieu of a project that competes for it,  let's say a non government organization that would be a conflict. So there's a number of new rules with the community works funds that I'm going to say are going to likely complicate this request, but we'll bring back a staff report identifying those challenges.” 

This is only one of the proposed revenue sources for the proposed multi-use sports court.