The decision to maintain the Westwood Lake indoor tennis bubble in Nanaimo was approved by the city council during a special meeting on October 14, as per an official statement. The bubble, situated near Westwood Lake Park on Arbot Road, will remain functional under the management of a local non-profit organization.
This resolution followed the recent announcement of the city’s acquisition of the property, leading to the impending closure of the private Westwood Lake Tennis Club. The local community, along with club members, united to advocate for the preservation of the tennis bubble.
Whitman Tomusiak, a tennis coach associated with the Westwood Lake Tennis Club, expressed satisfaction with the city’s flexibility in this matter. He emphasized the positive outcome of retaining the facility and mentioned that the Nanaimo and Area Indoor Tennis Society will oversee its operations as a public resource for the upcoming year.
City officials are set to negotiate an operational agreement with the non-profit, with the Westwood Tennis Club scheduled to cease operations on November 1. The initial plan for the land purchase, disclosed on September 16, aimed to expand Westwood Lake Park by adding an additional hectare to the existing site. This extension would enhance public access to a beach and improve connectivity to mountain bike trails.
Charlotte Davis, the city’s parks and recreation director, clarified that the city’s purchase was solely for the land, not the business entity, necessitating the closure of the club. Discussions have hinted at the potential relocation of indoor tennis facilities to Beban Park, a more centrally located area accessible to the public.
Despite the long-term vision of transforming the area into a city park, Tomusiak stressed the immediate necessity for accessible indoor tennis facilities, especially with the approaching colder months. He expressed openness to the idea of transitioning the facility to public management or relocating it to Beban Park in the future. Tomusiak remains optimistic about the continuity of tennis activities in the community, foreseeing potential improvements in court facilities in the coming years.
