Pickleball tournament raises $4,120 for Burnaby hospital foundation

The Inclusive Place of Pickleball (IPOP), a facility at Lougheed Town Centre, raised $4,120 for the Burnaby Hospital & Community Foundation through a Sept. 19 tournament. Players of all ages took part, including Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley.

IPOP opened in 2025 with nine indoor courts for players of all abilities and opened another facility in Surrey earlier this year. Hurley said pickleball is currently a popular sport and called the event the first Mayor’s Cup, adding that he hopes it will return next year. He said the sport is enjoyed by many people and is accessible to everyone.

The fundraiser followed an earlier provincial announcement that delayed Phase 2 of the Burnaby Hospital development. At a Sept. 21 news conference, Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma said the redevelopment was proceeding again and announced $210 million for emergency department and surgical-unit expansion. The B.C. government also said it would improve access to cancer care, expand patient-care capacity and add a new acute-care tower for Burnaby residents.

Doug Petti, president of the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, said the hospital is an important part of the community and that support for completing Phase 2 was evident at the tournament. YOYO Pickleball Club founder James Wu partnered with IPOP on the event. IPOP founder and CEO Chris White said Burnaby’s investment in pickleball infrastructure, including shared public-court nets accessed by residents with a code, helps build a community of players. IPOP plans to open additional facilities across the province.