Monday, July 22 – The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) and Tourism Thunder Bay are pleased to provide $205,000 in funding support to the Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre Facility through the CEDC Tourism Development Fund.

“The Thunder Bay CEDC is very proud to support the facility,” states Jamie Taylor, CEO, Thunder Bay CEDC. “Our strategic action plan focuses on supporting year-round visitor experiences and sports tourism. The facility will offer access for racquet sports such as tennis and pickleball throughout the year.”

“Sport tourism event attraction is a major contributor to Thunder Bay’s tourism economy.” says Paul Pepe, Manager of Tourism Thunder Bay.  “The indoor racquet facility will help support growth of regional and provincial racquet sport events and enhance our community’s sport tourism hosting infrastructure capacity in a sustainable way.”

The Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre is spearheading this project in partnership with the Provincial Tennis Association. Together, they aim to host tournaments and attract players to experience Thunder Bay. The planned facility will feature 6 indoor courts,9 outdoor courts, and seating for over 300 spectators. Given that only 10% of public courts in Canada are covered for year-round play, this proposed Thunder Bay facility presents a unique and valuable opportunity for the community.

“This [funding contribution] will allow many local athletes to pursue their tennis dreams and serve as a hub for tennis in the Northwestern Ontario region.” says Jason Everett, President Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre (TBCTC). “We expect high level players from all over Ontario to come here for high level sanctioned events in the future. This will be a driver for tourism in Thunder Bay.”

Jamie Grieve, Director of Tennis states “The tennis centre is committed to hosting larger events and attracting people to visit our great city though the sport of tennis. Through the support of sponsors and partners like Mascarin Collision and the Ontario Tennis Association, we are hosting the Mid Canada Open in two weeks time. This is attracting many people from Ottawa, Southern Ontario region and the United States. We want to bring more of these events to our community.”

Applicants of the Tourism Development Fund are encouraged to leverage partnerships and additional financial resources to maximize the growth of Thunder Bay’s tourism economy. The Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre (TBCTC) began pursuing funding for this project in 2019, with an initial commitment of $1.5 million from the City of Thunder Bay. Since then, Tennis Canada has pledged $200,000, FedNor has contributed $500,000, and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) has committed $1 million. Additionally, TBCTC has undertaken substantial community fundraising efforts, securing over $3.4 million for the facility.