Paradise spends $360K on sand for Canada Games beach volleyball courts

The Town of Paradise is paying out more than $300,000 for sand a very specific kind for four beach volleyball courts ahead of the 2025 Canada Games.

Coun. Glen Carew broke the news at the town's last council meeting before Christmas, saying the townput out a tender call that closed in early December and garnered only one bid.

That bid was from Shaw Resources in Nova Scotia, as first reported by the Shoreline News, for a total of $360,000.

"That sand isn't available in Newfoundland," Carewsaid duringthe council meeting. "We can't go out to Musgrave Harbour and dig it up and bring it into Paradise. So it has to come from a specific area, [with a] specific grain granule and specification and of course it had to go back to the Canada Games group to make sure that the specification was correct."

The town will be hosting the beach volleyball portion of the 2025 Canada Games andneeds to build two competition courts and two practice courts.

Carew said the price includes delivery from Nova Scotia, and he noted the courts will be available for public use after the end of the games.

"While the sand is being procured for the 2025 Canada Games competition, these courts will be a permanent fixture at Paradise Park," he said. "The legacy courts will provide beach volleyball players and teams with access to courts that meet national standards, helping shape the future of the sport."

Mayor Dan Bobbett said the courts are an investment for the town, adding that while there will be some costs associated with maintaining them during the off-season, economic benefits from hosting the event will make itworthwhile.

"The economic spinoff from all the travel, all the food vendors, resident accommodations alone we were happy to partner with the City of St. John's in this bid for [the] Canada Games because we know the economic spinoffs are going to be great," he said.

WATCH | Paradise's mayorsays $350K sand bill is an athletic investment:

Town of Paradise spending $360K on sand for Canada Games 2025

9 months ago

Duration 1:01

Paradise Mayor Dan Bobbett breaks down the cost of building and filling in four beach volleyball courts for the Canada Games in August 2025. While St. Johns is the main host city, Paradise will be home to beach volleyball and box lacrosse. Bobbett defends the expense, saying the sand courts will remain in place once the Games are over, allowing athletes to use them for the future.

The town procured the sand through a limited tender call, meaning itapproached potential suppliers and invited them to submit bids. The town approached two companies: Shaw Resources and Hutcheson Sand and Mixes ofHuntsville, Ont., which didn'treply with a bid.

The province has been upgradingfacilities around the northeast Avalon Peninsula in anticipationof the 2025 Summer Games.

The provincial government has earmarked $40 million for a new track and field facility, as well as at least $9 million in upgrades to the Aquarenaand Field House a pair offacilities onMemorial University's campus in St. John's.

The province has acknowledged costs have risen on the latter projects, with achanceupgrades could touch $20 million.

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