It was quite a racquet at the West Vancouver Tennis Club as community members came together to celebrate the centennial birthday on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, June 14 marked the official 100-year celebration for the tennis club. The birthday bash drew in dozens of tennis members, dressed in white sports gear or costumes reflecting the 1920s, to celebrate with cake and Champagne.
“That’s a big deal in a community … 100 years is a long time,” said Jodi Pallan, community outreach director for the West Vancouver Tennis Club.
The club is a non-profit membership organization that allows players to ace the sport year-round but also enjoy events like tournaments and social outings. Established in June 1925, the club started off with only three courts and less than 50 members. The club has grown over the decades, now home to five courts covered with a heated bubble and more than 500 members.
While there is a membership fee to join, what makes the club different than others is their junior program, giving any youth ages 4 to 18 the opportunity to learn the sport and improve their skills, said Pallan.
“Even though it is considered a private club, we are a non-for-profit that gives back to the community,” Pallan said. “Everybody’s welcome, whether you play tennis or not.… If you ever thought you wanted to play tennis and you weren’t sure, it’s a great place to come and try it.”
District of West Vancouver Coun. Scott Snider also gave remarks about the club’s milestone at the event.
“We’re thankful for what you provide to the community, and that includes a sense of community, belonging, the friendship, social life and exercise,” Snider said during the celebration.
The club operates on land leased from the District of West Vancouver.
As the tennis club marked the centennial milestone Saturday, longstanding members were also celebrated with certificates congratulating their long tenure.
Two of those members are Marina Alexander and Elizabeth Wilcox, who have both been at the club for more than 40 years.
Alexander said her first appearance at the tennis club came when she was just a baby, staying cozy in a bassinet while her mother got her swings in on a nearby court. Alexander joined the club herself at around 15 as a way to play the sport but also get involved with the community.
“It’s been a big part of my life,” Alexander said. “I’m grateful. This is more than a club.”
Now 60, Alexander has been on the club's board for nine years, and served as the president from 2019 to 2022.
Wilcox and Alexander have played on the same team for 20 years, and both love the social aspect of the club, making people feel welcome and part of a community.
“It helps you through things in your life that aren’t so good,” Wilcox said. “You always [can] come here, you’ve always got people to play with, friends.”
Book commemorating West Vancouver Tennis Club’s history
On top of the big celebration, members released a book in March documenting the last 100 years of the tennis club.
Serving a Century: A Nice Tennis Story dives into the club’s beginnings and its evolution over the decades. The book touches on equipment upgrades, iconic players, tournament wins, personal stories and a vision for the future.
Tennis club member Sabine Ritson came up with the book idea to celebrate the centennial milestone.
“It’s really just a celebration of the centenary and who we are as a club,” Ritson said. “It’s just a huge privilege to be around during this time of celebration, because all these people have been members for years and decades.”
Ritson approached club members Alex McCulloch and Greg Tolliday to gather photos and write articles for the book.
McCulloch and Tolliday gathered newspaper clippings, the club’s newsletters and archival photos, spending countless hours piecing the book together, while Ritson edited the work and put it all together.
Digging into the club’s long history and learning the triumphs and personal stories was rewarding for the trio.
“It’s really been both interesting and stimulating to learn about how it all started and the fact that it’s still going 100 years later, and it wouldn’t be if we didn’t have that sort of community feeling,” Tolliday said. “People join the club to play tennis, but they quickly get caught up in the social life.”
As the club closes the books on the first 100 years, members plan to keep the tennis club alive with a vision for the next century.
“I think that it makes you just appreciate what was put in before you, what’s coming forward and how much we all work together to make sure that this little club has stayed exactly what it is – a small family club for 100 years,” Pallan said.
Serving a Century: A Nice Tennis Story can be purchased at the West Vancouver Tennis Club's front desk for $40.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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