Tennis club celebrates grand opening

The Prince George Tennis Club is officially opening its courts after a year and a half of construction.

“We were able to come up with a budget with a contractor’s support to create a better facility,” says past president Rob Prideaux, “We have eight courts here, which we had before, but they’re all lit, not just four. We have the restaurant, lounge and patio with the golf club and lots of parking… We came out ahead.”

Club members hope to build indoor courts down the road, in hopes of attracting a new crowd of players.

“People could play year round, the students in the schools can come out and play more sports in the winter and be prepared in the summer to play at a higher level”, says Prideaux, “the connotation of the word ‘club’ is something we’re looking at changing… just so that people will feel there’s a welcoming attitude here and that there is no perception of richness or demographics that would cause people to stay away.”

While many are celebrating the fresh start, members are also celebrating treasured memories.

Longtime member Matt Altizer and his family were lost in a collision on highway 97 in 2012, but the club took steps to make sure he will never be forgotten.

“We felt it would be a nice way to remember him… to dedicate court four to Matt and to have all our finals played on that court… Sort of in his honour and in recognition of everything he’d done and all the time he spent here,” explains Prideaux, “He was probably here… apart from sleeping, almost all the time! Well, apart from working of course!”