Racquet sports, tennis, squash and badminton, are very popular in Vancouver. However, it's not always easy to find a place to play because many facilities are located in private sports clubs.

However, don't despair because the fabulous Vancouver Department of Parks and Recreation and The North Vancouver RecCentres come to the rescue once again. Many of the Vancouver Community Centres and North Van RecCentres have squash and racquetball courts, and many of them have drop in badminton games. And North Van has a new, excellent indoor tennis facility.

If you're moving to Vancouver or planning to stay for a while and you want to play squash regularly, consider joining Evergreen Squash Club. Located in North Vancouver, a block from the north end of Lions Gate Bridge, this excellent facility has five singles courts, a doubles court and a compact, well-equipped fitness facility.

The Club is inexpensive to join and most members are dedicated squash players. You can play on the box ladder, play on a league team, take lessons from the excellent squash pro and easily integrate yourself into the Evergreen community. For more information, call 604-878-3878.

To get the best squash lesson of your life, call Phil Arthur, Evergreen's squash pro, at 604-267-2376 or 604-671-2881. Phil has been teaching and coaching adults and kids for 20 years. He'll design the perfect lesson for you, whatever your skill level.

Here is a list of community centres that have racquet courts and/or badminton. If you want to play, call ahead to find out what's available when.

Community Centres with Squash, Badminton and/or Racquetball

West End Community Centre (downtown) 870 Denman Street 604-257-8333 Racquetball, Squash
Coal Harbour Community Centre (downtown) 480 Broughton Street 604-718-8222 Badminton
Champlain Heights Community Centre 3350 Macquinna Drive 604-718-6575 Racquet Bal, Squash, Badminton
Dunbar Community Centre 4747 Dunbar Street 604-222-6060 Squash, Badminton
Hastings Community Centre 3096 East Hastings Street 604-718-6222 Racquetball
Kensington Community Centre 5175 Dumfries Street 604-718-6200 Racquetball, Badminton Courts
Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre 990 West 59th Ave 604-257-8180 Racquetball Court
Mount Pleasant Community Centre 3161 Ontario Street 604-713-1888 Racquetball Court, Badminton
Trout Lake Community Centre 3350 Victoria Drive 604-257-6955 Racquetball

Indoor Tennis Courts

The UBC Tennis Centre, located at 6184 Thunderbird Blvd, has four indoor courts available all year. Call 604-822-2505 for more information.

BC Tennis Centre 6184 Thunderbird Blvd Vancouver, BC 604-822-2505

You can also find indoor public tennis courts at the new: Grant Connell Tennis Centre at 3rd & Lloyd Street in North Vancouver. The Centre has six indoor tennis courts available
Mon-Thurs. 7:00am-11:00pm
Friday: 7:00am-10:00pm
Sat-Sun: 7:00am-9:00pm
You can book courts up to 24 hours in advance by calling
604-983-6483.
Fees: $16.00 per hour.

Grant Connell Tennis Centre 280 Lloyd Avenue North Vancouver , BC V7L 3H3 604-983-6483

For more information about outdoor tennis courts, see our Tennis page under Outdoor Adventures.

YMCA

Finally, don't forget the excellent, very conveniently located YMCA. It has an amazing array of health and fitness equipment and facilities, including squash, badminton and racquetball.

YMCA 955 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y2 , Canada 604-689-9622