The Thorold Community Activities Group (TCAG) is getting a beach this summer, as they’re installing two volleyball courts at their location on Richmond Street.
Even though the courts are situated on city-owned land, they will be financed completely by the TCAG. The group says they will also take care of maintenance costs.
“Beach Volleyball has become a popular activity among young and older adults and the demand for more participation through the TCAG has prompted this request,” reads a City Hall report on the matter.
The volleyball courts will be built on the current bocce ball court at the centre, which is not getting much use, according to City Hall staff.
The matter was discussed during Tuesday’s city council meeting.
“Maybe we should investigate playing bocce at the Canada Games Centre in the summer time,” suggested councillor Anthony Longo. “They have grass inside on the ice surfaces. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate Italian Heritage Month.”
Councillor Carmen DeRose said he felt disappointed that the TCAG is not getting more use out of the Canada Games Park.
While there are volleyball courts available at the arena, it’s often difficult for the TCAG to obtain consistent time slots.
“Discussions with TCAG programming staff have revealed that they have had challenges booking consistent blocks of time for all of the courts making it difficult to organize league play when the space is shared with other users,” reads the City Hall report.
While discussing the topic, Mayor Terry Ugulini shared an anecdote from his recent holiday in Italy.
“Did you know they use the volleyball courts to play soccer?” He told council members. “There was a tournament right across from my hotel and they had lights and played until two in the morning. The athletic ability of the players was something to behold. They use their head, chest and feet. It’s phenomenal to watch.”
Thorold soccer players wanting to give the Italian version of beach volleyball a go might have to wait a little while longer, as a completion date for the volleyball courts was not included in the City Hall report.
