To the Change.org Team and Petition Supporters,
Unfortunately, Upper Canada College (UCC) students and families do not have reliable access to the tennis courts located next to the hockey arena. These courts are excluded from several school maps and have been largely overlooked by decision-makers. See map above or google UCC donation map, the courts do not show up.
In February 2025, we launched a petition calling for the tennis courts at Upper Canada College to remain accessible to the UCC community. The response was clear and powerful. More than 250 individuals signed the petition, and the Upper Canada College Boosters Club, a student-run initiative, formally wrote to members of the UCC community asking for support.
At the same time, the tennis courts have been publicly claimed as being “owned” by B&R Tennis, a private club, despite being located on UCC property. This claim appears on B&R Tennis’s website and has caused serious concern within the UCC community. https://www.thebandr.com/athletics/racquets
Over the course of more than a year, our pleas as students and community members have been ignored. We wrote to senior administrators and advancement leaders at Upper Canada College seeking dialogue and resolution. No follow-up, explanation, or meaningful engagement occurred. Silence has become the status quo.
What makes this situation especially urgent is that, while the UCC community has been ignored, the tennis courts are actively being negotiated with B&R Tennis to expand their court footprint at Upper Canada College. These discussions are occurring without transparency and without prioritizing the students and families the school exists to serve.
This is unacceptable. Upper Canada College has students who represent the school competitively in tennis and who cannot reliably train on the school’s own courts.
Tennis and pickleball are growing sports, and in Toronto, court access is already extremely limited. These courts are a rare and valuable community asset. Selling them, surrendering access, or allowing external control directly undermines student athletics, wellbeing, and community programming.
Our position is clear:
The tennis courts must serve UCC students and families as the first priority.
Any claims of ownership or exclusive rights by B&R Tennis Club over UCC tennis courts must be immediately removed. For reference, B&R Tennis publicly claims ownership of UCC tennis courts on its website: https://www.thebandr.com/athletics/racquets
UCC must prioritize student and parent programming over external private clubs.
Instead, the current approach appears to be to ignore student voice while quietly moving toward decisions that permanently remove access to these exceptional facilities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you care about tennis and community access, please take a moment to write to UCC leadership and let them know that the tennis courts are wanted for the UCC community, and that any expansion discussions must prioritize UCC students and families.
We are asking that the claimed ownership of UCC tennis courts by the B&R Tennis Club be immediately removed, as these courts are school property and must remain community-first.
Please also share this initiative on WhatsApp, in alumni groups, and within the broader UCC community.
Here is a link: If you love tennis please sign our petition (no donation needed to sign) https://c.org/RtXWKVZT7Y
Who to write: BOARD OF GOVERNORS boardsecretary@ucc.on.ca