Planned or in the budget

Install the defibrillator at the Brennan Park pickleball and tennis courts this year

The background, so you can decide for yourself. Facts checked October 26, 2026.

A defibrillator is a portable device used to restart the heart during a cardiac arrest. This ask is about putting one outside, at the pickleball and tennis courts beside Brennan Park Recreation Centre.

In January 2026, Pickleball Squamish asked the District of Squamish to install one at the courts and offered up to $4,000 toward buying it. Right now the nearest defibrillators are inside the recreation centre.

In June 2026, council agreed to put a District run device in the 2027 budget. In the meantime, council told staff to make space for Pickleball Squamish to install its own device, if the group wants to, as long as the District has reasonable liability protection. As of October 2026, we could not confirm whether the group has installed one.

So the question is whether a courtside device should be in place this year, or whether the 2027 plan is soon enough.

Key facts

Group's offer: Up to $4,000 toward buying the device, some of it grant money¹
District's first year cost: $2,000 in 2027 for the cabinet, installation and data plan¹
Upkeep after that: About $4,450 more from 2029 to 2035 for pads, batteries, the data plan and maintenance¹
Nearest device today: Inside Brennan Park Recreation Centre, next to the courts. Staff are adding signs that point to it.¹
Is one required?: No. No provincial or federal law requires defibrillators at sports facilities, and the District has no defibrillator policy.¹
In the draft 2027 budget: Listed at $2,000 among "previously endorsed and critical" changes (as of September 2026)⁴

Where it stands

Planned or in the budget The District has it in a plan or budget, but it hasn’t happened yet. The ask is usually about doing it sooner or differently.

Who decides: Squamish council.

The case for each answer

The strongest honest case for each side, as people who hold it would put it.

Yes

In a cardiac arrest, every minute counts, and many people play hard on these courts.
The local club has already offered most of the cost of the device, so the District's added cost is small.
A device right at the courts saves the time it takes to run inside the building and back.

No

A device already exists inside the recreation centre next door, and new signs point players to it.
Staff had not planned this work for 2026. Doing it now pulls time from other planned work, and the cabinet and data plan add costs every few years.
Council already lets Pickleball Squamish install its own device now, so the District does not need to rush its own.

How we got here

January 2026Pickleball Squamish asks for a defibrillator at the Brennan Park courts and offers up to $4,000.¹
April 7, 2026Council sends a resident's letter about defibrillators at Brennan Park to a council workshop (Committee of the Whole).¹
June 9, 2026Staff propose a pilot starting in 2027. The committee votes to budget it for 2027 and let Pickleball Squamish install its own device in the meantime.²
June 16, 2026Council approves that recommendation.³
September 29, 2026Staff list the $2,000 courtside defibrillator in the draft 2027 to 2036 Financial Plan.⁴
2027The District pilot is planned to begin, if the budget is approved.¹

Questions people ask

Can Pickleball Squamish put one in now?

Yes. In June 2026 council told staff to give the group space to install its own device at the courts, as long as the District has reasonable liability protection.³

Why does it cost more than the device itself?

An outdoor unit needs a weatherproof cabinet, a data plan, and new pads and batteries every few years. Staff estimated about $6,450 in total from 2027 to 2035.¹

Will other parks get one?

Staff said that if the pilot works, and if resources allow, they may consider other outdoor locations in future years.¹

How did this reach council?

The request went to a council workshop (Committee of the Whole) after a motion at the April 7, 2026 council meeting. Pickleball Squamish then urged council to speed it up instead of waiting until 2027.⁵

Ready to decide?

Your answer

Tap to answer, then see what Squamish said. Tap your answer again to take it back.

Install the defibrillator at the Brennan Park pickleball and tennis courts this yearPickleball Squamish offered up to $4,000 toward it. A June 2026 staff report scheduled it for 2027.

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More background

Sources

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