If you have driven past the old Peavy Mart building in Sierra Springs lately and wondered what was finally going in there now you know.
Pickleplex Social Club is coming to Airdrie at 2649 Main Street South, taking over the former Peavy Mart space just off Main Street in Sierra Springs. It will be the company's second Alberta location after Red Deer and its first in the Calgary area. No opening date has been confirmed yet the location is listed as coming soon on the Pickleplex website.
What Pickleplex actually is
Pickleplex Social Club is a Canadian indoor pickleball facility chain founded on a straightforward idea: build a place where anyone can play pickleball regardless of their skill level, and make it social enough that people want to come back.
The company now has 14 operational locations across Canada with six more listed as coming soon including Airdrie, Brampton, Goderich, Kamloops, Milton, and Peterborough. It was recently named the official host venue for the 2026 Pickleball Canada National Championship, running August 25 to 30. That is not a minor credential hosting the national championship signals that Pickleplex facilities are built to competition standard, not just recreational drop-in quality.
Co-founder Steven Fry started the company with a simple observation: pickleball demand in Canada was outrunning supply almost everywhere. "We're seeing very strong, consistent demand for high-quality indoor and outdoor racquet sport experiences, and that demand is still underserved in most markets," Fry said earlier this year. The company's model is built around recurring memberships, which gives it visibility into revenue and utilization from the start.
What the building is and why it was sitting empty
The 2649 Main Street South location was a Peavy Mart an agricultural and rural lifestyle retail store before it closed. The space has been sitting empty since, generating the usual Airdrie conversation about what might eventually go in there.
Pickleplex has made a pattern of taking over exactly these kinds of spaces. Its first location in Barrie opened in a former Sears store that had been vacant for years. Its Pickering location is in a former Target. Its Red Deer location is in a repurposed retail space. The company has essentially built its expansion strategy around converting dead retail into active recreational space —a model that works for both Pickleplex and the landlords who own buildings that have struggled to find tenants since the big-box retail collapse of the 2010s.
What the Red Deer location looks like Airdrie's closest preview
The Red Deer location which opened in December 2025 at Unit 106, 409 Lantern Street in Gasoline Alley is the best preview of what Airdrie is getting.
Nine indoor courts with dedicated permanent lines and nets. Thirty-foot ceilings. A licensed facility meaning you can have a drink after your game. Private rooms. On-court AI technology that tracks stats, scores, and swing data in real time. A mobile app for court booking, schedules, and event registration.
The head pro at Red Deer is Joel Pelletier, regarded as one of the best men's pickleball players in Canada and active in the Canadian National Pickleball League. The standard of coaching is club-level, not recreational.
The Airdrie facility's specific court count and build details have not been confirmed. Based on what Red Deer delivered, the expectation is a full-service indoor club.
How membership and drop-in works
Membership is required to access the full range of Pickleplex programming. Three tiers are available across Pickleplex locations pricing and availability vary by location and the Airdrie pricing has not been confirmed yet.
The basic tier covers non-prime hours Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with no court fees, plus 50 percent off during primetime. The mid tier adds one free two-hour booking per month at any participating location and 50 percent off additional court time across the network. The top tier removes court fees entirely with open play available any time.
Non-members can also drop in at standard rates membership is not required to walk in and play.
What programming will be available
The Airdrie location is confirmed to offer programming for players at every level:
For newer players: Pickleball 101 sessions, First Timer Fridays, beginner open play, and a beginner league. For more experienced players: open play sessions, men-only and women-only drop-in options, leagues, and tournaments.
The social club framing is intentional. This is not just a facility where you book a court and show up alone the concept is built around combining the sport with a social atmosphere, something that has worked well at Pickleplex's Ontario locations where member communities have formed around regular programming.
Why pickleball is hitting Airdrie at exactly the right time
Airdrie is one of the fastest-growing cities in Alberta. Its population is projected to grow by 29.5 percent between 2024 and 2028, and at full build the city could add 50,000 more people by 2033. That growth has created demand for indoor recreational facilities that the city's infrastructure has been working to catch up with.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in Canada right now. A January 2025 survey by Pickleball Canada found 1.54 million Canadians are playing the sport a number that has been climbing sharply year over year. The demographics skew older than most sports, which makes it particularly well suited for Airdrie's residential population that includes a significant number of families and active adults.
There are currently no dedicated indoor pickleball facilities in Airdrie. The nearest existing Pickleplex is in Red Deer, which is not a realistic option for regular play for most Airdrie residents. A facility at 2649 Main Street South closes that gap completely.
When it opens
No opening date has been confirmed. The Airdrie location is listed as coming soon on pickleplex.ca alongside a local contact email for the location. For updates follow Pickleplex Social Club at pickleplex.ca or on their social media channels.
Sources:
Pickleplex Social Club, Airdrie coming soon page (pickleplex.ca)
Pickleplex Social Club, Red Deer now open in Gasoline Alley, December 2025 (pickleplex.ca)
Pickleplex Social Club, Memberships page (pickleplex.ca/memberships)
Discover Airdrie, Airdrie could be in a pickle in a good way, June 2026 (discoverairdrie.com)
Retail Insider, Pickleplex plans to double footprint by end of year, April 21, 2026 (retail-insider.com)
Canada Construction Connect, From dead malls to pickleball hubs, May 5, 2026 (canada.constructconnect.com)
Pickleheads, Pickleplex Social Club Red Deer court information (pickleheads.com)
Pickleball Canada, 2025 participation survey (pickleball.ca)
