The Canadian government announced a $76 million basketball facility on the Humber Polytechnic North campus.
The project, unveiled Sept. 16, is a state-of-the-art basketball facility that will become Canada's national centre for basketball. Most of the money will be provided by Ottawa and Queen's Park.
Premier Doug Ford said the province provided $24 million to the fund, along with other funding allocated from Basketball Canada and the federal government's Canada's Build Communities Strong Fund.
“We are very grateful for the partnership with the federal government,” Ford said.
He said Humber will forever hold a place in his heart and it is his favourite institution. He paid tribute to his late brother and former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, recalling his days of coaching and how he grew a love for sports.
The 23,727-square-foot facility will also include a regulation soccer pitch with a covered dome, a high-performance training centre, non-binary change rooms, training spots aligned to Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Gold certification and office and clinic spaces, including a National Head Office for Canada Basketball.
Michael Bartlett, CEO of Canada Basketball, said Humber Polytechnic President Ann Marie Vaughan has been leading the charge in the process of this new chapter for Humber.
“I think the relationship we have with Humber is tenured and genuine. Humber campuses have been opening their gym doors to us for decades,” he said.
Bartlett said students will benefit from this project by offering pathway opportunities into the national team and to other basketball programs in the country.
“I can see dedicated internships held, specifically for Humber students and learning opportunities and employment opportunities. Especially as they graduate as well,” he said.
Bartlett said the initiative is holistic in its approach and is not just about creating better national team athletes.
“We had five business days to pull this announcement day off, but the real answer is Canada Basketball has been talking about a national training centre, and we found it in our board folder from the mid-‘90s. There's been a hundred different ideations and concepts along those years and discussions,” he said.
Bartlett said the Canadian government has placed an emphasis on building in Canada and the role that sport plays in building pride in the country.
“The idea is very clear. The vision for it is very mutual, from day one, Canada Basketball and Humber were as dedicated to creating a high-performance base as we were to community benefit,” he said.
Bartlett said the building buzzed throughout the event.
Toronto Raptors guard and small forward RJ Barrett said he grew up playing at Humber North campus and is now thrilled about the new facility.
“It felt like home playing here,” Barrett said.
Three-time Olympian Michelle Plouffe said teamwork is what has gotten them this far.
“If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together," she said.
Plouffe said having this facility offers much more than a building.
“It is so clear that this has been a team effort from so many of you here in the gym, to bring such a momentous step towards having a facility, having a home, for basketball, for athletes and for varsity athletes,” she said.
She said there have been extensive efforts behind the scenes, and she couldn’t be more grateful.
“It’s just really going to be so exciting moving forward. This is just a seed that has been watered over the years,” Plouffe said.
Secretary of State for Sport of Canada, Adam van Koeverden, said the hub will be a focal point for basketball in Canada, along with providing about 32,000 hours of community use each year.
“We need to work together to ensure that all the necessary mechanisms are in place because sports should be accessible and affordable for everyone,” van Koeverden said.
Vaughan said the expansion entailed significant work and planning.
She thanked the federal and provincial governments for helping the community live out this dream.
“Days like this don’t just happen," she said. "They happen from decades of work, from partnership and collaboration.
"We are so proud of Humber to be your partner to bring this vision to reality,” Vaughan said.
She said the facility is a moment for Canada to shine.
“At Humber, sport innovation is a moment that looks beyond competition and recreation, through significant enhancement to learning opportunities, optimization and performance, broadening community impact and expansion for climate research in all aspects of sports,” she said.
Vaughan said she always loves connecting with the Humber Hawks.
“I believe I can say that everyone at Humber would say that my favourite place to be is with our students, and it could not be any clearer that my favourite place to be is with the Humber Hawks,” she said.
Vaughan said understanding her students means the most to her.
“Cheering the Humber Hawks, and getting to know our students, getting to know their stories, and getting to see them achieve at the highest level but also go through challenges to get to that success,” she said.
Vaughan said the banners hanging in the gymnasium represent student talent, employees, and coaches. Faculty and support staff collectively live for students' success.
Humber men's basketball team captain Isaiah Brady-Clarke took the stage along with women's basketball captain Marian Martin to close off the announcement.
“Being a Hawk is a huge part of my everyday life. It became my community and somewhere where I felt like I truly belonged,” Brady-Clarke said.
This new athletic centre will help create new opportunities for future generations of students to learn, grow and achieve their goals and provide a safe, inclusive space for everyone to play sports.
