TPC Development Corporation Announces Major Investment and Executive Expansion to Grow The Picklr Across Canada, Starting in Winnipeg
The Picklr is North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, offering state-of-the-art courts, organized leagues, pro-level coaching, and a vibrant club atmosphere for players of all ages and skill levels. With over 500 locations in development across the U.S., Canada, Japan and elsewhere internationally, it's redefining how communities experience the sport.
With a goal of opening 65 Picklr clubs across Canada by 2031, TPC will build on the franchise model that is already flourishing across the United States. The Canadian strategy emphasizes local sourcing of materials, unlimited membership and interclub access, tailored indoor programming, corporate events and partnerships with major commercial and industrial developers, with curated community experiences.
Winnipeg is set to make history as the first Canadian city to welcome The Picklr in October 2025. The south Winnipeg Picklr will be located on Kenaston Boulevard at the crossroads of major retail, business and residential communities, bringing a world-class, purpose-built pickleball facility to the heart of the Prairies. With 10 courts, including 2 Championship courts, The Picklr is putting Winnipeg at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
This milestone includes the addition of new Canadian partners with proven track records in entrepreneurship, real estate development, marketing, technology, and professional and youth sports.
Leading the equity round is Greg Fettes, a Winnipeg-based entrepreneur and founder of IntouchCX, a global customer experience and technology company with more than 25,000 employees across North America, Europe, and Asia. Fettes also serves as Chairman and Founder of Play Ventures, an investment vehicle focused on sports and community-driven experiences. Play Ventures' portfolio includes Play Hockey Inc., one of North America's largest youth hockey tournament organizers, and Play Pickle Inc., a company dedicated to growing the sport of pickleball in Canada. Fettes immediately joins TPC as Executive Chair.
"I've become an enthusiastic supporter and pickleball player, and I see the massive opportunity available to The Picklr to empower Canadian entrepreneurs to bring this incredibly fun, fast-growing sport to communities from coast to coast," said Fettes. "With our first club opening in Q4 in my hometown of Winnipeg, I couldn't be more excited to help lead this expansion and build the pickleball community across Canada."
Joining the executive team as President is Rob Lloyd, a fellow Winnipeg native who spent over two decades in senior roles at Cisco Systems in Canada, Europe, and Silicon Valley—most recently as President of Worldwide Sales and Engineering, leading a 40,000-person team. Lloyd also serves as Executive Chair of a professional sports organization managing a network of 24 franchised teams across North America.
"Canada is ready for a premium, purpose-built, nation-wide pickleball experience," said Lloyd. "The Pickleball Canada team has the vision, experience, and energy to deliver it—and we're proud to start right here in Winnipeg, with other key markets already in development."
The expanded TOC senior leadership team includes:
- Mark Arndt, Chief Development Officer – 20+ years developing world-class indoor soccer and tennis facilities and operating an international professional tennis event
- David Formal, Director of Franchise Sales, with 25+ years of franchise development experience
- Mark Lloyd, Territory Sales Director – 5+ years managing franchise team relationships and national sponsorships across Canada and the U.S.
- Troy Buchanan, Senior Vice president, Colliers, Canadian Master Broker The Picklr Canada
- Daria Lukie, Associate, Colliers, Master Broker The Picklr Canada
About TPC Development Corporation
TPC Development Corporation is the exclusive Canadian Master Franchisor (excluding Quebec) for The Picklr, the premier indoor pickleball franchise in North America. TPC is focused on building a national network of high-quality indoor clubs, delivering exceptional franchise opportunities and community-first pickleball experiences across Canada.
Founded in Utah, The Picklr is North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, with more than 500 clubs in development. The Picklr offers professional-grade courts, leagues, lessons, tournaments, and a vibrant club atmosphere for players of all levels.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
28 minutes ago
- Global News
Canada will start producing ballistic-protection steel domestically
Canadian defence manufacturer Roshel is partnering with a Swedish steel company so it can produce ballistic-protection steel domestically for the first time. Roshel, which makes armoured vehicles, and will now be able to use Swebor's intellectual property to produce ballistic steel in Canada. The agreement comes as Canada is looking to boost domestic steel consumption and build up Canada's defence sector to be less reliant on the United States amid the ongoing trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Ballistic steel is a special type of lightweight, hardened steel that protects against blasts or bullets. 2:13 Carney announces $2B pay boost for Canada's military Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov tells The Canadian Press Canada produces and exports vast quantities of steel and iron but hasn't been able to fully produce ballistic steel for armoured vehicles or drones domestically. Story continues below advertisement He says that causes supply chain bottlenecks for domestic defence firms, who have to import the steel armour for their vehicles and ships from the United States, Europe and Australia.
Cision Canada
28 minutes ago
- Cision Canada
CIMA+ AND KEYWEST PROJECTS FORGE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE INNOVATION IN CANADA'S ENERGY SECTOR Français
CALGARY, AB, Aug. 19, 2025 /CNW/ - CIMA+, one of Canada's largest private consulting engineering firms, and Keywest Projects Ltd., a Calgary-based engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) firm known for its innovation in energy project execution, are announcing a strategic partnership. This new alliance will accelerate sustainable energy solutions across Western Canada and beyond. It brings together two highly respected, employee-owned firms with complementary strengths. By combining technical expertise, resources and innovation, the partnership is poised to make a significant impact on both shared and independent clients, with the energy industry standing to benefit most. This partnership will enable end-to-end project delivery through the combined expertise of both firms. CIMA+ offers extensive engineering capabilities across energy and resources, infrastructure, buildings, transportation, digital systems and environmental services, while Keywest Projects has delivered over 2,500 energy-sector projects, with specialized expertise in brownfield and greenfield execution, natural gas processing, carbon capture, hydrogen, biofuels, waste heat recovery and control systems. "Our partnership is a direct response to the evolving needs of the energy sector, especially in Western Canada where innovation and efficiency are critical," said Daniel J. Matthews, Regional Executive Vice President at CIMA+. "By joining our forces and expertise with Keywest in major projects, we are equipped to support our clients from concept through commissioning—combining technical depth with execution excellence." "This is more than a business alignment, it's a strategic move to lead innovation in one of Canada's most vital industries. Clients will benefit from expanded capabilities, faster delivery and deeper insight—whether they're based in Alberta, British Columbia or anywhere across Canada." added Stewart Nichols, Chief Technology Officer at Keywest Projects. Delivering excellence through collaboration This partnership enables expanded service delivery in high-demand areas including natural gas infrastructure, carbon capture, hydrogen, electrification, biofuels and advanced control systems. By combining Keywest Projects' strength in EPCM project delivery with CIMA+'s multidisciplinary engineering expertise, we can offer fully integrated project execution. This strategic alliance reflects a shared commitment to shaping the future of energy through collaboration, innovation and a client-first approach. "With a strong cultural alignment rooted in safety, sustainability and integrity, CIMA+ and Keywest Projects are well-positioned to lead Canada's energy mix together, promoting lower carbon intense energy solutions across Canada." concluded Daniel J. Matthews. This partnership is effective since July 2025. As the Canadian energy sector continues to evolve, CIMA+ and Keywest Projects are committed to delivering innovative solutions that support a lower-carbon, more resilient future. About CIMA+ CIMA+ provides complete consulting engineering services in the areas of Energy and Resources, Infrastructure, Transportation, Buildings, Project Management, Operational and Digital Technologies (including Telecommunication Systems), and Earth and Environment. The search for excellence has been part of our DNA since our founding in 1990, and our teams draw on decades of experience acquired across Canada to deliver quality projects that meet our clients' expectations. This commitment to excellence and quality has allowed CIMA+ to rank among the largest private consulting engineering firms in the country. Today, with over 40 offices across Canada, CIMA+ employs more than 3,500 people, most of whom share ownership in the company. Our multidisciplinary team is driven by a shared passion to deliver sustainable solutions that make our world a better place. From our Board of Directors to the communities we serve, our commitment to people is evident in our drive to innovate, in the projects we carry out and in every action we take. For more information, visit About Keywest Projects Ltd. Keywest Projects is a Calgary-based, employee-owned engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) company serving Canada's energy sector. Since 2009, we have successfully delivered more than 2,500 projects, specializing in both brownfield and greenfield execution for oil and gas, power generation, and infrastructure. Our expertise spans natural gas processing, carbon capture, hydrogen, biofuels, waste heat recovery, electrification, and advanced control systems. We combine deep technical knowledge with practical field experience to provide fit-for-purpose solutions that drive safety, sustainability, and value. From early concept development through detailed engineering, construction, commissioning, and regulatory compliance, our multidisciplinary team is committed to delivering innovative, cost-effective projects that meet the evolving needs of our clients and Canada's energy future. For more information, visit
Vancouver Sun
28 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Air Canada to resume operations after making deal to end flight attendants' strike
The union for Air Canada's flight attendants said early Tuesday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the company to end the more than three-day-long strike that prompted Canada's largest airline to cancel thousands of flights. Flights will 'gradually' resume operations on Tuesday night, Air Canada said in a statement, warning that the full restoration of services could take up to 10 days. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada, wrote on social media that it had completed mediation with Air Canada and its subsidiary Air Canada Rouge and that the strike that began on Saturday had ended. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. With this tentative agreement, the union said it was required to advise its members 'that we must fully cooperate with resumption of operations.' Air Canada said that mediation discussions began on the basis that the union would commit to have its flights attendants immediately return to work. Thousands of Air Canada's flight attendants walked off their jobs after negotiations for a new contract broke down, defying multiple orders by the government to return to their duties. Part of the contract negotiations entailed raises, with the union saying that Air Canada's flight attendants were paid less than those with similar experience working at smaller domestic carriers. The union was also seeking 'ground pay' — compensation for the hours that attendants work at the airport, such as when passengers are boarding. Other airlines, including Alaska, American and Delta, offer ground pay for flight attendants. The strike caused significant disruptions in Canada and abroad — Air Canada grounded nearly 2,600 flights as of late Monday afternoon, according to data provided by aviation analytics firm Cirium — affecting more than 500,000 customers. 'The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption. Our priority now is to get them moving as quickly as possible,' Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive of Air Canada, said in a Tuesday statement. The day the strike began, the Canadian government asked an independent federal tribunal to order the flight attendants to return to work and submit to binding arbitration. The union refused to comply and then defied a second deadline from the tribunal on Monday to resume work.
