TORONTO: Mayor John Tory was joined last week by Councillor Paul Ainslie (ScarboroughGuildwood) and Glen Grunwald, President & CEO of Canada Basketball, at Scarborough Village Community Centre to unveil a new outdoor pop-up basketball court.
Raptors Superfan and Canada Basketball Global Community Ambassador Nav Bhatia was also present and participated in a ceremonial tip-off with youth Scarborough players.
The Canada Basketball Foundation and Senior Women’s National Team are giving back to the City of Toronto by creating an outdoor pop-up court which aims to provide local youth a basketball ‘hub’ where they can show their love for the sport of basketball.
The City of Toronto and Canada Basketball hope this court, among other initiatives, will offer youth an exciting and safe space to return to sport after what has been a long pause for recreational sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the lead of its partner – the Toronto Raptors – Canada Basketball will be making investments in court infrastructure in Toronto and across Canada in the coming years. In consultation with the City of Toronto, a space in the parking lot of the Scarborough Village Community Centre was identified as an available location for the Foundation to create an outdoor basketball court and play space for the Scarborough/Guildwood community.
The City has provided barricades on loan to create a secured space for children and youth from the community to play safely. The Canada Basketball Foundation™ (CBF) is a registered charitable organization dedicated to growing all aspects of the game of basketball.
Working directly with Canada Basketball, the Foundation aims to improve the health of the nation through basketball, provide a pathway for excellence for young athletes, and deliver dynamic basketball development that will result in international success.
Mayor Tory said: “I’m delighted to announce this new partnership between the City of Toronto and Canada Basketball. A big thank you to Canada Basketball on behalf of The Senior Women’s National Basketball Team (SWNT), for creating this outdoor pop-up basketball court at Scarborough Village Community Centre, where local youth can now gather and play.”
