Fowler courts rendering
New pickleball and tennis courts opening September 15, 2026
Fowler Park in Cordova Bay is expanding its outdoor recreation opportunities with the addition of six dedicated pickleball courts and one dedicated tennis court.
The new court hub is part of the Fowler Park Improvements Project and supports Saanich's response to the Pickleball Strategy for Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Esquimalt.
As part of the broader park improvements, landscaping, irrigation and amenity installation work will continue after the courts open. Thank you for your patience while these final improvements are completed.
About the Fowler Park Improvements Project
Once completed, park improvements include:
- A court hub featuring 6 dedicated pickleball courts and one dedicated tennis court.
- A raised central viewing area with seating, seasonal shade umbrellas and a water fountain.
- A looping gravel pathway.
- An accessible route from the existing parking lot to the central plaza.
- Bike racks and e-bike charging stations.
- New, irrigated planting areas and improved site drainage.
Fowler Park Pickleball Court Reservation Pilot
From September 15 to October 31, 2026, Saanich will pilot online reservations for four of the six dedicated pickleball courts at Fowler Park.
The other two dedicated pickleball courts, and the dedicated tennis court, will remain available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Construction updates
February 2026
Construction has gradually restarted at Fowler Park after a hiatus due to weather and site conditions. Crews continues to manage difficult site conditions.
Upcoming project schedule items include final grading of the pickleball and tennis courts for paving. Post sleeve installation and fencing will follow this work. Irrigation is set to be installed this spring to support the extensive native planting beds and trees on the noise-mitigating berms. Court surfacing is anticipated to occur in late spring with landscaping, pathways and furnishings installation over the summer.
December 2025
The caps on the retaining walls have been installed, and the site is being prepped for paving and fencing in the new year. The construction site will be closing for the holidays and will start-up again in the new year.
November 2025
Fowler Park is currently being constructed to create six new pickleball courts, one tennis court and a raised central plaza with furniture amenities for viewing games. To mitigate noise from pickleball, the courts are being built into the sloping site and will be surrounded by large berms planted with shrubs and trees. Additional park improvements include a looping gravel pathway with an accessible route from the existing parking lot to the plaza, accessible ramps into the courts, seating, water fountain, bike racks, drainage and irrigation for the new plantings.
The design has required significant excavation and site preparation, thereby extending the original construction timeline. Construction is anticipated to be completed by summer 2026, weather dependent.
October 2023
Saanich Parks has refined the preferred “Active Hub” conceptual plan for Fowler Park that was presented at an open house last May. In response to concerns about Pickleball noise, the plan uses the recommendations in the acoustic study and the site's natural topography to reduce noise with a small wall and berms. Since the Pickleball courts are considered new assets and the Parks Capital funds are primarily allocated for asset renewals, a funding request will be made to Council as part of the annual budgeting process.
Other features in the park include a loop trail, park furniture, drinking fountain, bike racks, and a covered area for bikes and picnicking. The existing vault style toilet near the parking lot will remain, as adding another closer to the courts could create odour issues for those enjoying their game.
The Fowler Park plan was presented to the Natural Areas, Parks and Trails Advisory Committee on October 12, 2023.
July 2023
We are continuing to work on developing the plans for Lochside and Fowler Parks based on the information we have received from the questionnaire, the Sound Study, and the Geotechnical Study for Fowler Park.
May 2023
Saanich Parks hosted an Open House on May 2, 2023 to display information and receive feedback on conceptual plans for Lochside & Fowler Parks.
View the presentation material: LochsideFowler_May2-2023_Presentation.pdf [PDF - 9 MB]
The questionnaire is now closed, however, you can still send us feedback by email to parks@saanich.ca
April 2023
Saanich Parks continues to move forward with the planning and design work on making improvements to Lochside & Fowler Parks and we will be hosting an open house on May 2, 2023 to collect your feedback on Concept Plan Options for both parks.
First Phase
The first phase of the Planning and Design process for the Park Renewal Project has started for Lochside Park [PDF - 487 KB] and Fowler Park [PDF - 156 KB].
An online survey was available until December 12, 2021. Check out the results... [PDF - 2 MB]
The Park Renewal Project focuses on replacing the aging playground and tennis courts at Lochside and utilizing the open space at Fowler Park more effectively. The sports fields are not part of this project as they are well established anchor facilities for the community.
Council approved a concept plan for Fowler Park in 2008. It will form the basis for the development in the park, however, we recognize that there may be different ideas today to make that park a vibrant part of the community.
Please contact Saanich Parks by email parks@saanich.ca or call 250-475-5522 if you would like to join our email list for more information and updates on the project as we move forward with the Planning and Design process.