Community Building with sport

A bucket, a few pickleballs, and a WhatsApp group were enough to bring neighbours onto the courts every day this summer. I started the group to build a stronger community bond, get people outside, and stay active. Residents from across Mississauga showed up — to play, to socialize, and to get the exercise so many of us need. I have had the privilege of meeting wonderful people on those courts.
That is what community building looks like: creating a place where people feel they belong, look out for one another, and have a stake in each other’s success. Pickleball does more than keep us fit. It gets neighbours talking, turns strangers into teammates, and reminds us that a healthy Ward 11 is built as much on friendship and shared space as it is on policy.