Canadian basketball scores new state-of-the-art home at Humber with $100-million federal backing
'This represents the single largest investment in basketball ever in this country,' says secretary for sport
RJ Barrett appeared legitimately giddy.
As he stood at the podium at Humber Polytechnic on Wednesday to help announce a new home for Canadian basketball — flanked by fellow national-team basketball player Michelle Plouffe, Canada secretary for sport Adam Van Koeverden, Ontario premier Doug Ford and others — he couldn’t help but flash back to his youth.
asserted
he → score → youth
“I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid.
asserted
I → come → ?
I’ve had practices, games.
asserted
I → have → practices
So many of my friends, we kind of grew up here.
asserted
we → grow → friends
This place has always felt like home for Canada Basketball,” Barrett said.
asserted
Barrett → feel → Basketball
“I’m one of the players that gets to use this.
asserted
that → ’m → this
I’m all excited.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
In a landmark announcement, the federal government injected $76 million into a new national basketball facility, topped up by $24 million from the province of Ontario to reach an even $100 million in funding.
asserted
government → inject → funding
Located in Etobicoke, Ont., at Humber’s North Campus, a state-of-the-art community centre will serve as Canada’s home of basketball, featuring six gyms to be used for provincial, national and international competition as well as a high-performance training centre.
asserted
centre → locate → competition
It will break ground next year and also house Canada Basketball’s national operations.
asserted
It → break → operations
“This represents the single largest investment in basketball ever in this country,” Van Koeverden said.
asserted
Koeverden → represent → country
The federal government is committing to 32,000 hours of community use annually at what it is calling “The Hub.”
asserted
it → commit → what
The hours will be monitored by Humber, per Van Koeverden.
asserted
hours → monitor → Koeverden
Rounding out funding for the new site, Canada Basketball will team with Humber to launch a private donor campaign with opportunities for naming rights, while Humber Capital and student fee allocations will contribute, too.
asserted
Capital → round → rights
“I’m absolutely ecstatic and I’m a huge basketball fan,” Van Koeverden said.
asserted
Koeverden → ’m → ?
“I grew up watching Steve Nash and today is a real turning point.
asserted
today → grow → Nash
RJ Barrett said it best: these are real tangible bricks-and-mortar evidence to Canada as a true basketball nation.”
asserted
these → say → nation
As of the beginning of last season, Canada claimed 23 NBA players — second only to the U.S — including Toronto Raptors forward Barrett and two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton, Ont.
asserted
Canada → claim → Hamilton
Five Canadians currently play in the WNBA, including Kia Nurse of the Toronto Tempo.
asserted
Canadians → play → Tempo
Canada also sits within the top seven in the international rankings for both men and women.
asserted
Canada → sit → men
However, success on the world stage has been mostly hard to come by.
asserted
success → come → stage
The women’s team missed qualifying for the World Cup earlier this month and has never earned an Olympic medal despite consistently strong rankings over the last 15 years.
asserted
team → miss → years
The men’s team captured bronze at the 2023 World Cup, its first podium appearance ever at the event, and returned to the Olympics for the first time in 24 years in 2024 before losing in the quarterfinals to host France.
asserted
team → capture → France
'A big deal': Olynyk
“Being on a national team, you’re spanning a whole country.
asserted
you → span → country
Guys are coming from B.C. or girls are coming from Alberta or here or the Maritimes or wherever.
asserted
girls → come → Alberta
And to have one place where you guys could meet up and train together, with or without coaches, is a big deal,” men’s team captain Kelly Olynyk said.
uncertain
Olynyk → meet → coaches
“The more you’re together, the more you train together, the more you see each other, that translates onto the court into success.”
In addition to the facility funding, Canada Basketball received $1.8 million in supplemental funding, the second allocation of a $660 million bump in core funding for national sport organizations (NSOs) that was announced in April.
asserted
that → ’re → April
A $2.77 million top-up for Alpine Canada was announced on Friday.
asserted
up → announce → Friday
For the feds, the facility marks the latest in a string of investments which also include $9.8 million to planning a Canada Soccer national facility as well as $33.6 million toward the rehab of Calgary’s Olympic oval, a Canada Snowboard national training centre and a national alpine centre.
asserted
which → mark → oval
Those commitments came out of the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF), a 10-year, $51-billion initiative toward Canadian infrastructure.
asserted
commitments → come → infrastructure
The investment in the Canada Basketball facility likewise came from the BCSF.
asserted
investment → come → BCSF
“I want to invest in every national sport organization incrementally and imminently as quickly as possible.”
asserted
I → want → organization
Van Koeverden told CBC Sports.
asserted
Koeverden → tell → Sports
“We go back to Parliament on the 21st of September.
asserted
We → go → September
It's a tough deadline but we've got 100 applicants of NSOs, MSOs, all the sport institutions on a national level and I'm confident that all of them will receive above them their investments and their ambitions this year.”
asserted
all → get → investments
Van Koeverden specifically mentioned meetings with Football Canada and Athletics Canada, which could be the next potential funding targets.
uncertain
which → mention → Canada
He said basketball worked out early due to the NSO’s ambition and the sport’s affordability.
asserted
basketball → say → ambition
“Everybody understands it.
asserted
Everybody → understand → it
Whether you're a fan, whether you're somebody that wants to cheer, whether you're somebody that wants to coach or help train, there's more opportunity in basketball,” he said.
asserted
he → want → basketball
“It's low cost, it's low barrier, and that's what we want for Canadians.”
asserted
we → want → Canadians
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
