The hunger strike has ended but the battle will continue for a Chilliwack couple fighting noise from a nearby pickleball court.
Rajnish and Harpreet Dhawan started their protest Sunday morning, drawing attention to the courts at Kinsmen Park that were built mere metres from their back yard.
“As staunch followers of Mahatma Gandhi, we have decided to follow the path shown by him to deal with systemic injustice,” Rajnish wrote in a letter sent to City of Chilliwack decision makers last week that included a demand to decommission the courts.
The hunger strike didn’t last terribly long. Rajnish said he persuaded Harpreet to abandon the effort after 24 hours due to her fragile health.
RELATED: Chilliwack couple launching hunger strike to protest pickleball noise
“I continued for two days during which we received a lot of support from the people who came not only from Chilliwack but from neighbouring towns as well,” he said. “Of course, we had our share of detractors.”
When The Progress reported on the idea of a hunger strike, it was met with mocking on Facebook pages, but Rajnish said the tone started become more sympathetic by day two. At 10 a.m. Tuesday (July 25), after about 50 hours, Rajnish packed it in.
“I released a video yesterday morning, after which I saw a change in the public’s mood, and today I released another video before calling off the strike,” he said. “We managed to create the awareness that we wanted to create.”
The Dhawans bought a home on Woodbine Street in 2017. At the time, there were no pickleball courts and they considered it a plus to hear the sounds of the adjacent park.
“I drew creative energy from activities going on in the park which included watching people play tennis, children enjoying the slides and swings, people taking a stroll or walking their dogs, and youths enjoying late night parties,” Rajnish said. “None of the sounds from such activities bothered us; it became a part of our soundscape, especially during summers when most of the windows of our home are kept open.”
But when the pickleball courts were added in 2019, and resurfaced in 2021, the sound of plastic balls hitting plastic paddles became unbearable. Rajnish brought his concerns to the City 11 months ago, suggesting the courts were installed without consulting neighbours and were constructed without any noise studies. According to Rajnish, the incessant sound of plastic balls hitting plastic paddles has caused him symptoms of anxiety, sleeplessness, auditory hallucinations, and heart flutter. He said his wife has developed health issues as well.
Rajnish said complaints to the City of Chilliwack have fallen on sympathetic but ultimately deaf ears. But according to the city, steps have been taken to help the Dhawans, including:
- Restricting times of play at the court from 9 a.m. until dusk, with staff following up with the Chilliwack Pickleball Club to achieve better cooperation by ending games by 8 p.m. Club president Lyle Simpson said members have been asked to not play there at all.
- Posting signage to recommend that practice foam balls should be used after 4 p.m., with staff reaching out to local sports stores requesting that they stock foam balls for local pickleball enthusiasts.
- Closing the courts over the winter and delaying this spring’s opening until April.
- Installing sound attenuating material to reduce the sound level heard outside of the courts, with staff currently monitoring its effectiveness.
RELATED: Upgraded Chilliwack pickleball courts open with new state-of-the-art surface
“City staff have taken substantial action to help mitigate the situation and continue to reach out to the complainant to attempt to come to a successful resolution,” said Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove. “We are also working on an indoor pickleball facility at another location and plan to close the outdoor courts at Kinsmen Park on Portage once additional playing space is available.
“We know that a large group of residents enjoy playing pickleball and we will continue to work hard to balance the various needs of everyone in our community.”
Rajnish, a former pickleball player, said his beef is not with the sport but with the courts. He said he and his wife have “been contacted by various professionals during these 50 hours and now we will make our next strategy based on the suggestions and feedback that these professionals have provided.”
@ProgressSports
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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