Category: Announcements

Markus Templer – 1975-2022 R.I.P.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a member of the Pickering Squash Club family. Markus Templer passed away on Sunday June 12th. Markus inherited a genetic heart defect that affected him throughout his life. Although the cause of death is yet to be determined, it is expected that the cause was heart failure.

Markus grew up on the singles courts of Pickering. He was an elite player for many years. His parents were very active in the Pickering Squash Club. His mother, Victoria, served on the Club executive and was honoured by The Club in 1999 being awarded the Chris Doona Trophy for exceptional service to The Club.

Markus is survived by his mother, Vitoria, his two sisters, Faylyne and Angela, and brother, Felix.

His many friends in the Pickering Squash Club send their condolences to Victoria, and her family in this difficult time.

The Club Is Back In Full Swing

As of Tuesday March 1st, capacity restrictions have been lifted and the Squash Club can resume regular programming. Masks are still required when you are not actually playing squash. Social distancing is highly recommended and you should be fully vaccinated to participate in club activities and events. Club facility renovations are nearing completion and we should have access to the locker rooms R.S.N. (Real Soon Now!)

As of February 28th, the House Leagues (both Singles and Doubles) for the Winter/Spring Season have started. Singles House League is running on Monday evenings. Doubles House Leagues are running Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Inter-Club Singles Squash Leagues have started. You can find info regarding the Toronto & District Men’s Squash League HERE. You can find information about the Toronto & District Women’s Squash League HERE.

Our Women’s “A” Team and Women’s “B” Team have started the season quite well. Check out the Women‘s T&D Standings HERE.

The Men’s teams are also doing well.
The Men’s T&D Division 3 Standings are HERE.
The Men’s T&D Division 4 Standings are HERE.

Watch the website for information on upcoming events at the Club. The Executive is hard at work planning a great Winter and Spring Season on the courts.

For further information on activities at the club, drop an e-mail to :
Membership (at) PickeringSquash.com .

Pickering’s own Dean Brown making it big at the Bow Valley Athletic Club Calgary

Durham’s own, and son of long time PSC member Joe Brown, Dean Brown is making news in Calgary AB. He is now CEO of the newly renovated and newly opened Bow Valley Athletic Club in downtown Calgary.

The Club is also co-sponsoring the Oxford Properties Canadian Open at Bow Valley Square, April 11th to 15th 2022.

Read all about it here: Oxford Properties Canadian Open Heads to Bow Valley Square, Calgary, Alberta April 11th – 15th, 2022 | Squash Canada
https://squash.ca/2022/02/oxford-properties-au-bow-valley-square-de-calgary-en-alberta-du-11-au-15-avril-2022/

Due to Covid our annual Toy Drive did not happen this year.

But don’t think that this small fact stopped the generosity of our members.

This year, our charity leaders continued there efforts to make Christmas a little better for those less fortunate.

Steve Dizig has headed up the Toy Drive for the past number of years. This year, with the help of Master Woodworker, Steve Flude, who made boxes full of wooden toys, and other members who turned up with unwrapped toys, Steve and Fred Dizig were able to again deliver a van load of toys to the Durham Children’s Aid Society.

Rick D’Souza has championed our Christmas Food Bank Drive contributions in the last few years. This year, again with the help of Fred Dizig, he collected contributions from friends and members of the club. They were then able to take a van load of food and a fist full of cheques totalling $2000 to the St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank.

Thank you to these dedicated members and to all those who contributed to the success of our Toy Drive and Food Bank Drive that “didn’t happen” this year.

2021 Women in Squash Encouragement Fund

A note from Alison Le Ber on receiving this Grant

Your enthusiasm for this is touching and I thank you for the kind sentiments. Just want to make sure you understand that I merely applied for a grant that was being offered by Squash Canada to generate interest in women’s squash, so it wasn’t awarded to me personally. 
This is the second such grant we (Nicole Pirko and I) are receiving. As you probably recall, the first one was awarded in 2020 but we were unable to use those funds at that time because of Covid. The free beginner women’s clinic we just finished was financed with those 2020 funds. It was a massive success!! We had to waitlist women.  I will be sending a write up about that one to Squash Canada. 


The Pickering Squash Club has agreed to fund another round for the waitlisted women from this past session, which I think is a fabulous use of community funds. It starts next month. This new/current grant from Squash Canada will go towards running a beginner clinic for teen girls starting in January.
Bottom line, we have a very excited group of women who are now attending a series of Sunday round robins as a follow up AND booking their own courts with each other because they are so excited about the sport.
It could not have gone any better. Great things are happening for women’s squash in Pickering thanks to some funding from Squash Canada and the Government of Canada and the PSC Team/community effort.


Thank you all a ton.
Cheers
Alison

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 Membership@PickeringSquash.com

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.