Shameful Serving of Tennis

This was a letter I sent to the coast, which was published this week

The name the commons denotes a sense of equality and access, a place where everyone in the city enjoys leisure and recreation. However, I am beginning to realize this is not the case for tennis in Halifax. One would think the tennis courts at the commons would be the best place in the city to play. The most courts in one place, central location, adjacent to the major high school, and lighting at night to boot. This would be a significant recreation asset for any city, but in the case of Halifax we see an aged, neglected, and ignored recreation venue. The courts have not been resurfaced for what looks like the better part of a decade or two, rusted out fences with no screens for wind, no garbage cans, no water fountain, no clearly designated bathroom, no information board about tournaments or lessons. As a result, anyone who is interested in tennis plays in one of the many private clubs. Essentially creating a negative feedback loop where the courts are not used as much as they could and therefore there is no incentive to invest in the facility. As a province and city we are always singing the merits of an active and inclusive population. Why should we have a two tiered tennis system when we have an opportunity to have the best facility in the city be part of the "Common Good". Tennis is a sport that takes little in the way of equipment and provides recreation to all ages, sounds pretty inclusive, maybe something we should encourage in a place named the commons.