Hillside Tennis Club

Hillside Tennis Club head pro, Dariusz Kozak, is (once again) the 2023 Men's Eastern Canadian Senior Indoor National Championships 35-55 Doubles Champion!!! Congratulations from all Hillside members, your biggest fans!

To HTC members ONLY: With the creation of our Instagram account last season and the launch of our new mobile app and website this season, there are many ways to stay informed on Club activities and news. We have therefore made the decision to retire the FB Hillside private group.

And if you need proof, we’ve got photo evidence of our first members of the season playing tennis. Can you guess who they are??!!

Let the season begin! Bonne saison à tous!

Dear Members,

You’ve been patient. You’ve been understanding. Not only have you adapted to the current realities around COVID, you’ve also waited for the day when the many challenges that we have faced in getting our new Clubhouse built are finally overcome and we can throw open our doors.

Well, folks, today is that day!

While there are still a few components of the project to be completed behind the scenes, we are thrilled to announce the following:

Clubhouse Opening: Thursday morning, July 8th

• Members will have access to the bar, interior seating areas, and locker rooms.
• Full bar service will be available (without the need for plastic cups).
• COVID protocols:
o all members are required to wear a mask when you are anywhere inside the Clubhouse. You may remove your mask whenever you are seated.
o everyone who arrives at the Hillside must sign an Attendance Register at the pro shop (for contract tracing purposes).
• Bathroom facilities: once the locker rooms are open, we ask everyone to use the toilets in the locker rooms (and leave the new toilet on the main floor for people with limited mobility).
• There will be no towel service until the back areas of the Clubhouse are completed (we currently have no access to our washing machines). Please bring your own towels for showering in the locker rooms and for the swimming pool.

Lunch Service Begins: Saturday, July 10th

• Lunch will be available (from the new Club kitchen) 7 days a week from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm.
• Service will be available outside on the Club terraces and the pool deck (or at the tables inside the Clubhouse).
• Selections will include the popular "Hillside Classics” and daily specials.

Dinner Service Begins: Wednesday, July 14th

• Dining will be available 3 nights a week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.
• Service will be available outside on the terraces (both casual and formal) or inside the Clubhouse.
• Each week, Wednesday will be a “theme" dinner (advertised a week in advance).
• In general, Thursday and Friday dining will feature a limited Table d’hôte menu.
• Reservations are strongly encouraged, as they help to ensure that sufficient staff will be on hand to meet demand. Call and reserve your table in advance at 514-738-6371 or by emailing [email protected].

LOBSTER NIGHTS: Wednesday, July 14th and Thursday, July 15th

• Michel would like to launch the summer dining with 2 evenings of this Hillside “classic”
• A delicious single lobster dinner served at your table
• Cost TBD based on current market price
• Limited seating available
• Reservations must be made in advance by calling the regular Hillside number: 514-738-6371 or by emailing [email protected].

Guests:

• Effective immediately, members are welcome to bring guests for dining, bar and the swimming pool (and tennis)
• Please note that regular guest rules and charges will apply

Continuing Construction:

Please note that there remains some work to be done in the coming weeks to finish up a few remaining details, including the carpeting of our new stairway from the bar to the locker rooms, exterior painting, some finishing behind the building and some landscaping and general clean-up of the grounds.

While most of this work will have no impact on your enjoyment of the Hillside, we thank all members for your continued patience as we finish the job and restore the Hillside atmosphere to its usual beautiful condition. We look forward to wrapping things up as soon as we can.

CELEBRATING OUR NEW CLUBHOUSE:

Many members are asking how and when we will celebrate the completion of our Facilities Enhancement Project. As the project is not yet finished (and many members are now away on vacation), plans are underway for an inaugural event later in the season when we can relax and enjoy the exciting results of so much work….a spectacular new Clubhouse nestled in the serenity of our beautiful grounds.

Junior camp week!!! Pizza night @ hillside lots of fun!!

Dear members,

We have all learned to adapt to new ways of playing tennis, visiting the pool, and enjoying a drink from the bar at the Hillside this year. All members contribute to the success of our gradual Club opening, and we are pleased to announce that we are now ready, as of next week, to begin Phase 3 which will include lunch service, organized round robins, and more.

Earlier this week, we had a sudden downpour and everyone on the Club grounds rushed to get indoors and out of the rain. It became difficult to maintain the 2-metre physical distancing requirements inside the clubhouse. In order to mitigate potential dangers should this happen again the future, we ask that all members and guests carry a face mask with them while on Club grounds. It’s not perfect, but it helps reduce the chance of contagion when it is impossible to maintain a 2-metre physical distance.

We thank our members for having been so patient and cooperative with the restrictions we have had to put in place so far. It is only by continuing to be diligent and to respect and follow all the rules and requirements for using the Club during this pandemic that we will be permitted to continue operating. We rely on you, our members, to follow all rules and all staff requests in order to ensure that we may continue to offer as much of the cherished Hillside traditions as possible, and to keep it a safe place where members feel comfortable playing tennis, visiting the pool, and dining.

Tennis Round Robins are back, as of next Monday, June 29! They include:

Men’s Round Robin: Monday nights, 5:30-8:00 pm
12 players maximum
by reservation ONLY 48 hours in advance (up to noon on Monday)

Women’s Round Robin: Tuesday mornings, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
12 players maximum
by reservation ONLY 48 hours in advance (up to 9 am on Tuesday)

Mixed Round Robin - Wednesday evenings, 5:30-8:00 pm
Begins Wednesday, July 8th (because of the Canada Day holiday next week on July 1)
12 players maximum
by reservation ONLY 48 hours in advance (up to noon on Wednesday)

Mixed Doubles Clinic - Friday mornings, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
8 players maximum
by reservation ONLY 48 hours in advance (up to 9 am on Friday)

Fitness Tennis - Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 pm
4 participants maximum by reservation ONLY
48 hours in advance

Early Hit Clinic - Wednesday mornings at 7:00 am
4 participants maximum by reservation ONLY
48 hours in advance

To reserve for round robins, clinics, and lessons, please email [email protected] or call the Pro Shop at 514-738-6371, ext. 2.

Tennis Ball Reminder: Please continue to use your tennis balls as long as they are still good – at least 4 times for singles play, and 7-8 times when used for doubles. Also, we encourage members to return their tennis balls to the pro shop when they are no longer good, so that they can be used for lessons and clinics.

Pool Rules Reminder

The warm weather continues, and we anticipate that the pool will be popular with members of all ages for many weeks to come.

We will now open one bathroom in each of the men’s and women’s locker rooms for use as necessary. However, the locker rooms should not be used for changing, and the showers are not in use (the water has been turned off). An outdoor changing room has been built near the pool, and an outdoor shower is on its way.

Please note that we will only be able to continue using the pool if all members comply with the strict physical distancing guidelines outlined the Hillside COVID-19 Pool Protocol and Procedures Document

Pool users must comply with the rules outlined in the document, including the following:

The pool area has been divided into zones with sets of chairs.

Chairs may not be moved around the pool deck and must remain in the locations they have been placed in, which have been carefully measured out to comply with physical distancing requirements.

Only members of the same family may sit less than 2m (6.5 feet) apart from each other.

The same physical distance (minimum 2m apart) is required while in the pool.

A maximum of six (6) people is permitted in the pool at any one time. If others are waiting to use the pool, please respect a 10-minute time limit in the water. If there are many children wanting to jump in the pool, parents are encouraged to take the initiative to direct the children to take turns jumping in and to respect the required distances.

Children and juniors visiting the pool must be supervised by an adult who is also in the pool area at all times. All children are expected to follow all the protocols and procedures outlined in the document.

During your visit at the pool, if you would like to change seats to another location around the pool that appears to be available, please check with the Pool Supervisor before taking a spot other than the one to which you have been assigned. The Pool Supervisor will let you know whether the chair is available and if it is, s/he will sanitize the chair and you will be able to use it.

Please note that although some provinces have introduced the concept of “bubbling” with another family to reduce physical distancing requirements, the Quebec Government has not relaxed physical distancing requirements in public. We are required to reinforce the 2m (6.5 feet) physical distancing rule on Club grounds.

In order to continue to use the pool, we count on all members to respect the rules, not only for their own safety and that of our fellow members and staff, but also to keep the pool open and available to all members as the summer weather begins.

Lunch Service Begins Next Week

We are pleased to announce that lunch service (casual dining only) will resume beginning next Wednesday, July 1, and will be available Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 to 2:30.

If you are not already on site with a reservation for tennis or the pool, you will need to call to reserve your table. Please call our special Reservation Line at 514-738-1672, or by email at [email protected].

This service will begin on a trial basis, and will continue only if demand warrants and members consistently follow all restrictions and physical distancing measures that have been outlined for restaurants, including the following:

Tables will be set a minimum of 2 metres (6.5 feet) apart.
Only members of the same household may sit at the same table.

Guests are permitted provided that they live in the same household as the inviting member. For example, if you have a single membership and you would like to invite your spouse or child(ren) who live in your household to dine with you, you may do so, and they would sit at the same table as you. Guest visits are permitted to a maximum of three (3) times per season as outlined in the Club Rules.

A limited menu will be available.

Save the Date: Single Lobster Night

If you have been missing lobster night this year, mark your calendars for our first dining event of 2020 – a Single (one lobster per person) Lobster Night on Wednesday, July 8 at 6:30 pm.

We are also planning a “Dine and Discuss” luncheon, featuring lobster rolls and a speaker, the following day, Thursday July 9. This event will also be shared via Zoom.

More details about these events will be forthcoming in next week’s update. Until then, please continue to support the Club by observing and following all the rules in place to ensure that the Club is safe and enjoyable for all.

The Hillside Junior Tennis Camp is opening!!!We are finalizing details, stay tuned!

ICYMI here's an article from today's Montreal Gazette featuring an interview with our GM Michel Deslauriers:

Montreal tennis clubs waiting for government green light to start play Tennis Quebec has provided a set of guidelines to allow players to enjoy the game while respecting social distancing once the courts open.

A message from our President - May 2020

Hillside Update May 2020 Little update concerning our status of reopening the Hillside Tennis Club