‘We want this to be the community’

Pickleballers rejoice — the first phase of The Picklr’s highly anticipated Canadian expansion is ready for play.

Winnipeg’s newest indoor facility dedicated to pickleball could open to members as early as Saturday, so long as its occupancy permit is passed by the city.

The 30,000 square-foot building located in the Tuxedo Business Park (262 Commerce Dr.), which is also the Canadian headquarters for the American chain, will later be unveiled to the public at a grand opening on Jan. 31.

“The excitement, of course, it’s there,” said an equally relieved Mark Arndt, chief development officer for The Picklr Canada.

The last two months have been a sprint to get everything from lines painted to TVs mounted and AI trainers in place.

“I mean, I couldn’t wait to bring this concept to market here, to Canada, to Winnipeg, because it’s so needed,” Arndt added. “Our pickleball players deserve proper places to play in, and all due respect to all the (multi-use gyms and community centres), but it’s a dedicated pickleball facility. It makes a difference. And when a player comes here, they feel like a pickleball player. They feel like they have a permanent home.”

“I couldn’t wait to bring this concept to market here, to Canada, to Winnipeg, because it’s so needed.”

The Picklr Winnipeg South, as it’s being called, is home to 10 courts, including two championship-level courts with the hopes of hosting Professional Pickleball Association events in the future.

There was an effort to make the facility feel like a club, as locker rooms, showers, a warm-up area, massage therapy and a social area headline the list of amenities. The building is not licensed to sell liquor, but it is something management will explore in the future. Also on the horizon could be outdoor courts.

“We want this to be the community,” said general manager Brent Bernas. “From beginner-level pickleball to the elite player, we want everybody to play and then come together as a community.”

A sign of the palpable buzz that has grown around the facility, 330 memberships have already been sold, and Bernas anticipates that number will climb quickly once it’s open to the public. A single membership runs for $169 per month, while there are also options for families.

“Between friends, family and then members — and even non-members — emails, texts, social media… it’s been crazy,” said Bernas. “I was up until midnight last night (answering emails). It’s been nuts.”

With Winnipeg being the hub for Canadian operations, job opportunities will open up in the coming weeks and months.

“Now that we kind of have our feet on the ground, I’m always looking for people, especially at the front desk, because the influx of members we’re expecting it to be very busy,” Bernas said. “There’s always employment, especially seasonal.”

There are more than 400 Picklr locations across nearly every state in the U.S. and, partnered with the Winnipeg-based TPC Development Corp., it plans to open another 65 facilities north of the border by 2030. The next is opening in Etobicoke, Ont., in May.

The Picklr is the latest facility dedicated to pickleball to open in or around Winnipeg. The Pickleball Club of Winnipeg opened in Headingley last fall, while a pair of courts at the Pickle Haüs, attached to Prairie Badminton in Transcona, opened in 2024.

And the run is only going to continue.

The Picklr has committed to building three facilities in Winnipeg, with the potential for a fourth Manitoban location down the road. Brandon has been tabled as a viable option.

“Right now, I’m not in a position to say where, but Winnipeg calls for three, so we’ll see how this one performs, and then the second, third one,” Arndt said.

“Brandon is a potential. We’ve had some talks. We’ve been looking at buildings there, as well.”

“Brandon is a potential. We’ve had some talks. We’ve been looking at buildings there, as well, but that will be an option.”

As far as another location in the provincial capital, Arndt said he hopes that it will open in the next two years.

“We’re progressing, especially on one site that we’ve zoned in on; the progress is going well,” he said.

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