We held our first Mingle of 2026 on Jan. 13 and despite the cold weather, over 60 members joined us at the Pickleplex, and some brave attendees tried their hand on the court. While some excelled at dunking and others in dinking, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves! We kept the courts busy until about 8 p.m.
This was Cristina Cadavid’s first official event as a member of the Chamber team as the new Member Services Specialist. (We debated updating the title to Member Experience Specialist, but the acronym MES didn’t quite convey our vision on how the role would support you and our Chamber members!)
Thank you to our host, Mike Botterill, and his lovely staff for ensuring the event ran smoothly for our members. Mike spoke about the growth the Pickleplex Social Club has achieved since its grand opening in May 2025, and spoke about his vision for the future. Thanks for keeping our members engaged, active, and hydrated during our mingle!
‘New to You’ Faces:
We were excited to welcome many new faces to our Mingle event! We passed out more than 11 ‘New to You’ stickers to first-time attendees, and invited them to share the stage to introduce themselves. They were:
We offered a ‘New to You’ sticker and stage time to Danielle from the BDIA, as this was her first event after getting married and changing her last name from Hanomen to Furtado! Though she chose not to accept this recognition, we want to congratulate her and thank her for her continued support for the Chamber!
We saw members we hadn’t seen in a long time, so while they didn’t earn the right to wear our prestigious ‘New to You’ event sticker, we felt they deserved a special shout out anyway. Dave Bowland, from BCS Automation managed to keep a low profile, attending with Mary Trask attended. We also felt that Jamie and Nancy Troke, of Ekort Realty, and John Cairns, Direct Realty, deserved a special re-introduction.
Winner, winner! ‘Pickleplex’ dinner:
Congratulations to Bryan Emmerson, of Clarity Coaching for winning our event Member Prize, donated by the Pickplex. We’re great to have Bryan back in person! Special shout out to Ege Boyce, who we pinned as a’IYKYK’ member, as it sounds like the Pickleplex is his second home now that he’s not hanging out City Hall!
Chamber Member Kim McKinney, RE/MAX Quinte Ltd., thought there was a prize for the best costume, and managed to take home a prize for his efforts. He arrived in silk anchor pyjamas to represent his “anchor” position on the court. Mike was kind enough to give him a purple Pickleplex mug. Check out his ‘fit’ and let us know if you think he was deserving of this title!
Event Chatter:
Vacations, staycations, and relaxation! Everyone was busy chatting away about how they’d spent their holiday, upcoming warm getaways they were planning, and how they’re slowing down and taking time to relax. Cruises seemed to be a particularly hot topic! But if you ask me, any day I don’t have to clean snow off my car when leaving the Log Cabin, is a good one!
Pickleplex Social Club also opened their doors for a Patio Pop-In when we had to reschedule our trip to the Waring House due to high winds and massive rainfall, which means they’ve hosted the Chamber TWICE! And it’s only been eight months since the grand opening!
About our Host
Pickleplex Social Club is located at 366 North Front St. Unit 250A, in Belleville, offering premium indoor pickleball. It’s a club all about fun, community, and providing an ultimate experience for members on and off the court. Pickleplex Social Club is 100% Canadian owned and operated! For more information, visit: https://pickleplexclub.ca/belleville/.
