3 Ottawa tennis clubs find no asbestos in court clay

Three Ottawa tennis clubs say there was no asbestos found in the clay on their bagged product or on the courts, after learning of possible contamination in parts of Quebec.

Last week, some Quebec municipalities shut their clay courts after an analysis found potentially troubling asbestos concentrations in the bagged clay used to maintain them.

The clay was produced by an American company, Har-Tru, whose product is also used at Ottawa tennis clubs.

The Elmdale Tennis Club and Tennis Centre West Ottawa closed their Har-Tru courts in anticipation of test results, while the Ottawa Tennis Club and Rideau Sports Centre kept their courts open.

Testing has revealed "no trace of asbestos" in the clay at the Elmdale Tennis Club, according to a letter it sent its members Tuesday night, and it plans to reopen Wednesday.

The Tennis Centre West Ottawa and the Ottawa Tennis Club both confirmed to CBC that tests performed on the stored clay and court surfaces "have come back negative for the detection of asbestos." The Tennis Centre West Ottawa reopened its courts Wednesday.

However, in a letter to members, the Ottawa Tennis Club noted it is "not permitted to use [its] stored bags of clay." It is unable to patch the courts until it finds a new "supplier/product," which it is actively searching for, the letter continued.

CBC reached out to inquire why it is not permitted to use the clay, and to the Elmdale Tennis Club and Tennis Centre West Ottawa about whether or not they will continue to use their bagged clay product.

CBC has reached out to the Rideau Sports Centre to inquire about its courts.

A spokesperson for Ottawa Public Health told CBC by email on Wednesday that the agency is working with "provincial and federal partners to assess the issue" and for now there is "no evidence to suggest a risk to public health."

"Consequently, OPH has not issued any specific guidance or restrictions to area tennis facility operators," they wrote. "OPH is continuing to monitor and would provide further updates should new information arise."

Har-Tru told CBC over the weekend that it had hired an independent lab to review samples and pending testing it anticipated a temporary hold on the import, sale, and use of Har-Tru materials in Canada.

"Har-Tru is dedicated to public safety and delivering the highest quality products for tennis players in Canada," the company said in an emailed statement.

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