The City of Barrie will explore the potential for an indoor tennis dome as part of its long-term recreation planning, with council directing staff to assess whether the facility could be incorporated into a future south-end recreation complex.
The direction came during Wednesday's infrastructure and community investment committee meeting, where councillors debated whether a tennis dome should be considered alongside other potential covered sports facilities, including soccer and multi-use field infrastructure.
A staff memo circulated Wednesday outlined early-stage work with MatchPoint Tennis Club and Tennis Canada’s Rogers Year-round Community Tennis Facility Program, which offers funding for new indoor or seasonal tennis facilities across Canada.
The city previously provided a letter of support for the concept, allowing the club to pursue external grant funding. However, staff analysis indicates the grant—capped at $200,000 per project—would cover only a fraction of the estimated costs, which could reach several million dollars depending on site conditions and infrastructure needs.
During discussions with MatchPoint regarding potential city locations for a seasonal tennis dome, staff identified Eastview Park and Queen's Park as the only city-owned locations that meet the grant's minimum requirement of four tennis courts. The club said Eastview Park was its preferred site, but was interested in exploring Queen’s Park as an alternative, according to the staff memo.
The debate centred on whether a tennis dome should be considered as part of broader recreation planning, particularly as the city advances work on a new multi-sport complex in Barrie's south end.
Mayor Alex Nuttall proposed an amendment directing staff to consider the placement of a new dome at the site of the complex.
"If we don't plan forward, it's never going to happen," Nuttall said during Wednesday's meeting.
"I'm probably giving up on the idea that we can retrofit one of our existing parks right now to put a dome over it."
He argued the proposed south-end recreation complex could provide a logical home for future indoor tennis facilities alongside other planned amenities.
Coun. Claire Riepma said he doesn't think Eastview Park or Queen's Park are suitable "financially or from a community perspective," agreeing that the city should examine whether the new south-end facility could accommodate a dome.
Some councillors pointed to growing demand for indoor sports space across Barrie, including long waitlists for winter tennis and pressure on existing soccer infrastructure. Others raised concerns about ensuring equal consideration for multiple sports before committing to costly, sport-specific facilities.
Barrie already has one sports dome in the city's north end, which is primarily used for soccer among other recreational activities.
Nuttall also told committee he has been in discussions with Barrie Soccer Club about a separate soccer dome proposal in Springwater, noting that demand for indoor field space extends beyond tennis.
Barrie residents currently rely on indoor tennis facilities outside the city, including a dome located in Springwater, owned by the township.
"The reality is that this doesn't exist inside of the city of Barrie," he said. "The waitlist out there, the last I heard was over 200 individuals, and we are now in a position where it's like, 'OK, what do we do going forward?'"
Nuttall noted a proposal to install a dome over existing tennis courts using federal funding was rejected by council roughly 17 years ago.
City staff confirmed that a broader stakeholder engagement process for the south-end recreation site has not yet been completed, and that a project team is still being formed to guide future design decisions.
"From that period forward, the ball should start rolling a little bit more quickly," Kevin Datema, the city's director of recreation and culture services, told committee members. "We haven't engaged in that yet, but it's likely closer to the end of the calendar year."
While council ultimately supported further exploration of a tennis dome concept, members emphasized the importance of comparing it against other potential facility options, including soccer domes and multi-use fields, as part of a wider needs assessment.
Committee chair Coun. Bryn Hamilton said the city must ensure any future facility is planned with long-term growth in mind.
"We've got one shot to do this right," she said. "I want to make sure we're doing all the necessary steps to make sure [if] we build there, we're planning for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years because that's what this recreation centre and fields are going to have to serve."
Committee members unanimously approved the recommendation and Nuttall's amendment.
No decision has been made on whether a tennis dome will be built. Staff are expected to examine costs, feasibility and potential locations before reporting back to council, likely during the next term.
