‍MONTRÉAL (October 13, 2023) – Canada Basketball, in partnership with Buckets and Borders, announced Friday that Parc Saint-Laurent, located in the heart of Montréal-Nord, has been identified as the next location for a court refurbishment as the organizations continue their work to revitalize outdoor basketball spaces across the country. 

“Basketball can bring people together with a shared love and passion for our game,” said Michael Bartlett, President & CEO of Canada Basketball. “By partnering with Buckets and Borders to restore the basketball court at Parc Saint-Laurent, it's an opportunity to celebrate the game's growth across Montréal while also creating a safe and beautiful space for youth to pick up a basketball.”

Working closely with the City of Montréal, the borough of Montreal-Nord, and Maizon Dort Foundation, Parc Saint-Laurent was selected as the court for the project as it holds special significance to Senior Men’s National Team guard Luguentz Dort.

“Growing up in Montréal-Nord, I spent countless hours playing at Parc Saint-Laurent,” said Dort. “It's an honour for me to be able to contribute to a court refurbishment in the community that saw me grow up. I'm hoping this will inspire the next generation to get involved in sports and lock in on their dreams.”

The revitalized Parc Saint-Laurent basketball court is scheduled to reopen next spring/summer to celebrate Canada’s Olympic qualification and the road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“We are excited to collaborate with Lu on this project as he is both a key member of our Senior Men’s National Team, as well as a leader and role model for youth in his community in Montréal-Nord,” Bartlett said.

The Parc Saint-Laurent project is the second in a series of court refurbishment initiatives between Canada Basketball and Buckets and Borders, a non-profit organization that uses basketball as a means to improve communities and bring people together through basketball.  

Last month, Buckets and Borders revitalized St. John's Park in Winnipeg, including new backboards, nets, and resurfacing of the asphalt hardtop.  The court features the work of Jordan Stranger, a local Indigenous artist who designed and painted the court surface.

Buckets and Borders is one of six UNIFIED partnerships Canada Basketball established with not-for-profit community organizations nationwide with funding from the Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI) component of the Sport Support Program.  CSAI seeks to remove barriers and increase sport participation rates for underrepresented groups. Its key objective is to support community sport initiatives for equity-deserving groups, particularly Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQQIA+, low-income and newcomers, to increase participation and retention in sport.

In addition to support from Canada Basketball and Buckets and Borders, the Maizon Dort Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Dort and dedicated to improving the lives of underserved youth in Montréal, Oklahoma City and central Arizona, will also assist in fundraising and planning for this UNIFIED initiative.

The plans were unveiled Friday during a Maizon Dort Foundation social event following the NBA Canada Series presented by Bell preseason game in Montréal between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.

Funds raised will support the court’s sustainability plan and UNIFIED Assist Program grants to be distributed to non-profit, grassroots programs located in Montréal through 2024. Those looking to support this project are encouraged to donate via Canada Helps or by contacting cbfoundation@basketball.ca .

Launched in May 2023, the UNIFIED Partnership Program provides support to community organizations that not only have a long-term and ongoing affiliation with Canada Basketball but also shared values, objectives and priorities to help further grow the game and remove access barriers for equity-deserving youth through collaborative basketball programming in Canada.

For additional information on Canada Basketball, the Canada Basketball Foundation and the UNIFIED Partnerships program, visit basketball.ca.