Category: Membership

Mark Your Calendars

The 2022-2023 Pickering Squash Club Season is coming soon. The following are just a few of the events to plan for.

PLEASE NOTE: The Season Kick Off Fun Tournament and AGM previously scheduled for September 24th has been postponed. Stay tuned for a new rescheduled date to be announced.

  • Tuesday September 13th 5 PM to 7 PM
    • Junior Clinics start
  • Week of September 19th
    • House Leagues, both singles and doubles will kick off this week.
    • Singles House League September 19th
    • Doubles Division 1 (Advanced) House League September 19th
    • Doubles Division 2 (Intermediate) House League September 20th
    • Doubles Division 3 (Novice) House League September 21st
    • Sign-up sheets are posted by the courts
  • October 14th to 16th
    • Harvest Hit Doubles Tournament

Don’t forget, you have to be a fully paid up member of the Pickering Squash Club and the Chestnut Hills Development Recreation Complex to take part in PSC House Leagues and Club organized events.

You can get the 2022-2023 PSC Membership Form Here.

AGM Monday Sept 27th 6:00 PM followed by Round Robin

The Annual General Meeting will be held in the Doubles Squash Courts on Monday September 27th at 6:00 PM Sharp. It will also be available as a ZOOM meeting. (ZOOM URL will be e-mailed to members the week prior).
All Squash Club members are encouraged to attend.

1) Hear the plans for coming out of the pandemic and getting back to playing the game we love.
2) Vote to ratify the revised constitution of the Pickering Squash Club.
Click this Link to read the revised Constitution (The revisions are highlighted in yellow.)
3) Vote for the Executive Members to lead your Club
Nominations for running for a position on the executive must be received by Tuesday August 31st. Send nominations to [email protected]

Following the AGM Nicole will be running a Round Robin to help get us back into the swing.

We look forward to seeing everyone out on September 27th

Exciting Announcement from The CHD Recreation Complex

The Pickering Squash Club Executive is pleased to announce that The Chestnut Hills Development Recreation Complex (formerly the Pickering Recreation Complex) will be opening as of Monday July 19th. YEAHHHH!

With the move to Stage 3 of the Ontario Reopening initiative, the Squash Courts along with the Racquet Ball Courts and the rest of the facilities will be open to the membership. We are still awaiting details as to what Covid restrictions will still be in place. We will be sure to announce the details as we receive them.

The Pickering Squash Club Executive

A Sad Annoucement

From: The Executive, Pickering Squash Club

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Carroll.

Many of our current members may not know Dave. Our senior members will as he was a charter member of the Pickering Squash Club and an active member until the mid 2000’s. Dave was an integral part of making the Pickering Squash Club what it is today. He was an active member of house leagues and many inter-club singles squash teams and as the Club’s first Director of Junior Play, was a great supporter of the club’s junior programs.

As one of the co-chairs of the 1991 Canadian Junior Squash Championships, Dave oversaw the 7-day event hosting 150 junior squash players from around the world who came to play at our club. Many of these players went on to be world ranked professional squash athletes.

But Dave would always consider his greatest achievement was nurturing the squash talents of his daughter Nicole Carroll. Nicole went on to a professional career in Squash. You will know her by her married name, Nicole Pirko, our Squash Professional since 2007.

Dave will be greatly missed by his wife Natalie, who was also an active member of many house league and inter-club squash teams, as well as Nicole and husband Dan, Robyn and husband Scott and Dave’s 5 grandchildren who he adored. He will also be missed and fondly remembered by the Pickering Squash Club Community.

Rest in Peace, Dave.

Time for an Update to the Constitution of the PSC

Dear Pickering Squash Club (PSC) Members.
We hope you are all keeping well and all have remained healthy and safe. We don’t think any of us could have foreseen the significant impact of COVID-19 or the length of time this has extended. However, I’m sure we are all hopeful to see an end to this later this year once the large majority are vaccinated.  

The purpose of this message is to provide you with a brief update from the Club executive team, and request your support and consideration to provide feedback to our refreshed Constitution document.  

While it was announced on April 8th the Rec Complex will remain closed until further notice. Major construction work is well in progress to refurbish the front entrance, lobby, change room facilities, fitness area and other areas, with plans by the City to complete and celebrate a re-opening later this year. Please use the following links for more information regarding construction work in progress, project timeline and updates, expectations for return to the facility once it re-opens, key contacts, status of City facilities, and other important information.  

Facility Renovation – City of Pickering; pickering.ca/covid19 

The Club executive team has continued to meet on a regular monthly basis to address a variety of Club related items including updates to our web site, support of social initiatives, financial matters, highlight the need for maintenance in the courts (sanding), replace some carpeting just outside the singles courts, refresh of our Constitution document, and others.  

While we are very anxious and looking forward to get back on the courts, we have our full trust in the medical teams, Government, management teams and others who are planning to re-open in a manner with our safety as their top priority. Unfortunately, we are not expecting to be informed of the re-opening prior to general announcement to the public from Government and City authorities.  

Regarding the Squash Club Constitution document, (CLICK HERE ) for a draft version with some updates from within the executive team. Note the last update was published in Sept 2005, thus considered well overdue for refresh. Some of the key proposed changes, to this point, include: 

  • Updates to duties of the executive team members (all are strictly volunteer members) 
  • Proposed addition of a “Technical Advisor” 
  • Proposed change in term of the Pres, Vice Pres & Treasurer positions 
  • Proposed changes to election procedures 
  • Proposed changes to inter-club play guidelines, for singles and doubles teams, including challenge procedures 

We are requesting your consideration to carefully review this document and provide your feedback regarding any item. This is an important opportunity for your feedback and ideas to be considered. Our deadline to receive your feedback is August 31 2021, enabling us with time to gather all feedback received, refresh the document and prepare the proposed changes for approval by vote, by the membership during the next AGM, in September. Please forward your comments to [email protected] . or [email protected] Thank you in advance.  

Finally, we urge you to take all precautions, stay safe, receive your vaccination for COVID-19. Reach out to anyone in need with a helping hand and support. 

Best regards and stay safe! 

Fred Dizig
President, Pickering Squash Club 

2020 Toy Drive A huge Success. Thank You

Thank you so much to our membership who came through in a big way to fill the barrels with toys for girls and boys. The Durham Children’s Aide Society (DCAS) volunteers were thrilled when Rick D’Souza, Steve and Fred Dizig pulled up this afternoon to deliver all the wonderful gifts that The Club had collected over the last few weeks.

Thank you for the special efforts of Rick D’Souza for providing the barrels, Joan Hill for the signs and Rick, Fred and Steve for delivering to the DCAS. And thank you to Jody Morris and her staff at the Recreation Complex for their support of this project.

Our membership is second to none. In the middle of a pandemic when you are barred from playing the game you love, you come through like gangbusters.

We look forward to next year when we can again have a roaring Fun Tournament Night like we have in the past.

The Squash Club Executive

Time Running out on the Christmas Toy Drive

The Toy Drive is in full swing and going well.   The barrels all have toys in them.  Thank you to those who have made the trek to the Recreation Complex and deposited toys for the Toy Drive. 

But we did notice that there was a lonely little bear at the bottom of one barrel.  He’s wishing that a lot more toys will join him in the barrel. 

This coming week (Nov 23rd) is the last week for collecting.  We must deliver the toys to the Durham Children’s Aid Society next weekend.  If you do intend to donate, please do it sooner than later.  This weekend would be a good time.  The latest news from Ontario is that Durham is moving into the RED ZONE.  This may mean a curtailing of play at the Squash Courts as early as this coming Monday.   

Another of the club’s pet charities,  The St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank,  is also in need of our help at this time of year.  I drove past the Food Bank last Friday morning and I was saddened to see the lineup of people waiting to get help.   Normally our club runs the Pickering Squash Club Golf Tournament in Support of the Food Bank.  This year, because of the pandemic, we had to cancel the tournament.  This meant that the usual $10,000 to $12,000 that the Food Bank would get from our efforts was not there this year.  If you are considering making charitable donations this season, please consider the St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank.  They do accept donations on-line at the following:

https://www.stpaulsonthehillfoodbank.ca/on-line-donations.php

Each year, the Pickering Squash Club Members band together to help make Christmas a little better for those less fortunate. The challenges of 2020 are not going to stop us from continuing this tradition.   Let’s show that the Pickering Squash Club is ready to help. 

The Executive of The Pickering Squash Club

2020 Annual General Meeting Sept 14th, 7:00 PM

The AGM for 2020 will be held on Monday September 14th at 7:00 PM. via ZOOM

This is your opportunity to hear about the upcoming season for The Club and to have a say in how your Club is run. As well learn about how the season will progress in our state of “New Normal” and dealing with the COVID-19 restrictions.

This year the Annual General Meeting will be held virtually using the application ZOOM. If you are a paid up member of the Pickering Squash Club you will receive an e-mail in the next few days directing you on how to join in on the AGM.

Your participation in this important meeting is essential to the proper running of the organization. Your executive looks forward to your input and participation. As well, you will have an opportunity to volunteer to join the 2020-2021 executive and to vote in the executive for the upcoming season.

The executive is always open and welcome any new participants who wish to make a positive contribution to the Club. Every position is open as well as the addition of new Directors At Large.

Thank you from your current Executive. for 2019-2020

President  –  Fred Dizig
Vice President  –  Terry Bruce
Secretary  –  Joan Hill
Treasurer  –  Mark Rohlehr
Dir Junior Play – Ganesh Shan
Dir Ladies Play  –  Alison Le Ber
Dir Men’s Play  –  Winston Bell
Dir Public Relations  –  Ron Delevagne
Social Director  –  Steve Dizig
Dir at Large  –  Rick D’Souza
Squash Pro  –  Nicole Pirko
City Representative  –  Jody Morris – Supervisor Facility Programs

A message from Fred

Dear Pickering Squash Club (PSC) Members. We trust this message finds you well. It has been said many times that “we live in interesting times”. We could certainly say we didn’t see this one coming, nor could we have ever predicted the severe impact, globally!

To that point, we are experiencing a significant call to action by the World Health Organization, all levels of government, private and public sectors, likely as never before. We must pull out all the stops to protect each other and ourselves. Health, care and safety at the forefront! On behalf of the Pickering Squash Club executive team, we would urge you to be diligent, practice social distance, and take all precautions as well communicated via WHO through the media, workplace and all other means. Do not hesitate to seek medical help in the event you are experiencing any related symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, as well communicated.

In the interest of everyone’s safety, and following the lead by Squash Canada, Squash Ontario, OSDL, City of Pickering, other organizations, effective immediately, we are deferring all PSC organized match play until further notice. We will provide a further update in the coming weeks regarding rescheduled dates. Update to follow as well regarding plans for the junior squash program, club championships and banquet.

Many of you will have also received the following notice from the City of Pickering, indicating closure of the Rec Complex and other City managed facilities effective earlier this afternoon to April 05, inclusive. Thanks to Terry, we have posted the following notice from the City, on our web site. See the following link https://pickeringsquash.club/corvid-19-closures/ .

Finally, we want to encourage you to take all precautions, stay safe, stay informed, seek immediate help if you are feeling ill with any symptoms.

Best regards,

Fred Dizig
President, Pickering Squash Club