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City of Vaughan

Court Monitoring Demonstration Pilot – Varidx

Varidx

About the Demonstration:

The City of Vaughan’s Demonstration Zone program provides companies with a pathway to test and validate innovative mobility solutions in real-world municipal environments. Supported by Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, the program helps address transportation challenges while giving residents an opportunity to experience emerging technologies that enhance mobility, and economic growth.

In this pilot, participating companies are demonstrating innovative technologies that provide real-time court availability, helping residents make informed travel decisions, reduce unnecessary trips, reduce congestion, and improve access to high-demand recreational facilities. The demonstration will also help evaluate how real-time availability information influences travel behavior, facility usage, and the overall user experience.

Note: Varidx team’s sensors technology focuses only on how the courts are being used. No personal information or audio is collected. Data is used solely to measure occupancy, court utilization, and activity patterns.

Schedule:

The demonstration will take place during Phase 1 (where the City will evaluate the technology) and Phase 2 (where the technology will be made available for public use) at the pickleball and tennis courts at:

  • Max Eisen Memorial Park
    330 York Hill Blvd, Thornhill, ON L4J 3B6

Duration: September – November, 2026

* Dates are subject to change

Project Partners: 

  • City of Vaughan, Parks Infrastructure Planning and Delivery
  • City of Vaughan, Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations

 

FAQ

  • About Varidx's project
  • Demonstration Zone

  • Varidx delivers smart city technology solutions designed to improve municipal operations and enhance community services.

    The Varidx Smart City Platform integrates data from municipal systems, sensors, cameras, weather services, and public safety sources into a centralized dashboard. This unified approach supports faster decision-making, improves visibility across stakeholders, and promotes sustainability through more efficient resource management and reduced travel demand.

  • Stay tuned. Coming soon.

    Residents can access real-time court availability information by:

    • Scanning the QR code displayed at participating court entrances; or
    • Visiting vaughanbusiness.ca/court-monitoring-pilot

  • The demonstration consists of two phases and is expected to begin in September 2026 and continue through the remainder of the 2026 outdoor pickleball and tennis-playing season, subject to seasonal court conditions.

    Following successful completion of Phase 1, during which the City will assess system performance, dashboard functionality, and data accuracy, a public web-based dashboard will be launched in Phase 2. Residents will be able to use the dashboard to check court availability before planning their visit. Dashboard status updates will be available at vaughanbusiness.ca/court-monitoring-pilot.

  • Varidx uses Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor technology to provide real-time court occupancy insights.

    The system collects only anonymous occupancy information and does not capture personally identifiable information or audio. City staff can also receive automated email and SMS notifications regarding court and facility status, enabling more proactive operations.

    Real-time occupancy information will be available through a web-based platform.

  • The sensors collect anonymized activity and occupancy data from participating courts. The system generates occupancy logs, utilization reports, and peak usage insights to support operational planning and performance monitoring.

    This technology focuses only on how the courts are being used. No personal information or audio is collected. Data is used solely to measure occupancy, court utilization, and activity patterns.

  • The demonstration will take place during Phase 1 (where the City will evaluate the technology) and Phase 2 (where the technology will be made available for public use) at the pickleball and tennis courts at:

    • Max Eisen Memorial Park
      330 York Hill Blvd, Thornhill, ON L4J 3B6

  • The City of Vaughan’s Demonstration Zone program, delivered through Vaughan’s Transportation Innovation Program, provides a fair and transparent pathway for companies to pilot innovative technologies that advance the goals of the Vaughan Transportation Plan. Supported by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) through the Ontario Centre of Innovation, the program enables small and medium-sized businesses to validate mobility solutions in real-world environments while addressing local transportation challenges in partnership with the City, which enhance the resident experience and City operation for moving people and goods.

     

  • Challenge Area 1: Smart Mobility Intelligence for Peak-Demand Recreational Facilities

    The City issued a call for applications seeking innovative technologies that provide real-time into court availability, helping residents make informed travel decisions, reduce unnecessary trips, alleviate congestion, and improve access to high-demand recreational facilities.

  • The purpose of this demonstration is to test technology that can provide information about pickleball and tennis court availability, wait times and court insights. This demonstration responds directly to resident feedback about long wait times and difficulty knowing when high-demand courts are available during peak periods.

    The information collected will help City staff understand when courts are busiest and explore how real-time availability information could make it easier for residents to find available courts, avoid long wait times, and plan their visits. Once this demonstration is completed, the data and insights will enable the City to improve the overall recreation experience for the community while also helping reduce traffic and parking congestion during busy periods.

  • The demonstration is expected to improve the experience of tennis and pickleball players by reducing unnecessary trips, improving access to available courts, minimizing wait times, and supporting more efficient use of recreational facilities. Data collected will help the City better understand court usage patterns and peak-demand periods to inform future planning and service delivery. For the participating company, the demonstration provides an opportunity to validate its solution in a real-world municipal environment, supporting market readiness, future partnerships, investment attraction, and additional pilot and deployment opportunities.