Can pickleball go corporate in Canada? [Video]

Like many retirees, 70-year-old William Shim has embraced the sport of pickleball as a way to keep fit and to socialize. 

But getting court space can be tricky, and he often has to book about two weeks ahead of time.

“You’ve got to be quick to get a spot to play,” said Shim, who spoke to CBC News just before stepping onto a Calgary court.

As pickleball soars in popularity, the balance between supply and demand has gotten increasingly out of whack. 

At times, the sport’s growing popularity has provoked tension between passionate pickleballers and others in the community who aren’t keen on having their tennis courts or park space taken over. (One mayor in P.E.I. even quit his job over a pickleball development dustup).

Now, a U.S. company is betting it can make big bucks off all those court-hungry pickleballers with a network of indoor pickleball franchises in every major city in Canada. 

The Picklr …