The sport of pickleball is on the rise across Saskatchewan, and the number of courts is gradually expanding across Saskatoon and Regina.

As a low-cost, easy-to-play sport, both private and public facilities are becoming more popular across the province.

At the indoor facility, the Bridge City Pickleball Hub, Deana Mainil is training for provincials, hosted in Regina.

“I started nine years ago on my 50th birthday. It’s such a great social sport, but I love, love the competitive, I love the tournaments, that’s my favourite,” said Mainil.

To meet the growing demand for the sport, U.S.-based company Picklr is expanding into Canada, first with Toronto and Winnipeg, now with Saskatoon and Regina.

Just off Faithful Avenue, the old Pepsi warehouse is being converted into a pickleball mega-complex, which will be host to 10 indoor courts.

According to franchise owner Larry Owen, the choice to expand here was an obvious one.

“The only thing holding back pickleball is lack of court space, so we decided to build that facility, and if we’re going to build it we want to build it to the highest possible standard,” said Owen.

They’re hoping to open their doors by this fall when the need for indoor courts peaks.

Mainil typically plays in her hometown of Weyburn, but when she comes to Saskatoon she can be hard-pressed to find a spot.

“Its expanding greatly. It’s getting a bit more difficult to get court time in the winter, summer is a bit easier with the outdoor courts,” said Mainil.

The need for indoor courses extends to Regina, which only has 16 indoor courts compared to Saskatoon’s 28. Picklr is also expanding to Regina but has not yet announced a timeline for that project.