Fort Erie looks to shift course on Oakes Park tennis courts
February 12, 2026 at 4:18 AM
After several unsuccessful attempts to come up with a new partnership, councillors have directed town staff to move forward with a plan for municipal stewardship of the Oakes Park tennis courts.
The new direction leaves the option for a future with Fort Erie Tennis Club involvement, but one where the club’s relationship would more closely resemble other sports clubs in town. Under the new vision, the club would secure blocks of time to use the courts for an agreed upon fee, keeping the rest of the time open to the public.
“We have to recognize the fact these are public courts,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop, adding the club has done a lot to raise the profile of tennis in Fort Erie over the years, but the basic premise that underpinned the previous agreement has changed.
“This is in no means an intention to slight the tennis club, it’s an effort to come to grips with where we are today,” he said.
Town staff and councillors have been struggling to come to an agreement with the club, deferring a staff report multiple times after the municipality agreed to pay for significant work at the courts.
When it once again came forward at the February 9 council-in-committee meeting, councillors–namely Ann-Marie Noyes–were unimpressed with what they found to be a lack of answers to earlier questions.
Ultimately, Redekop said staff have been challenged by the fact they didn’t receive clear direction from council. A motion from the mayor once again deferred a decision, but offered that clear direction that staff look to become the main stewards of the courts.
Should the club continue to operate–not a given based on a memo provided by town staff to councillors at the Monday meeting–Redekop said they could work with town staff on club programming hour needs and a reasonable fee to charge.
The remainder of the hours would be open to the public, and the town would have to come up with a booking system.
There have been concerns about security and maintenance of the specialized courts should they be opened for public, unsupervised access. A fob security system has been one solution offered by staff.
Town to offer online voting in next municipal election
Fort Erie to honour its role in the Underground Railroad
Mayor seeks help finding town hall vandals
About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
Stay Informed