Newly renovated Halifax basketball court a slam dunk for north-end children

Grace Campbell gave a large thumbs-up to a newly renovated hoops tribunal that was officially opened Monday successful a north-end Halifax neighbourhood.

The 14-year-old was 1 of dozens of young hoopsters who launched shots and dribbled around the caller tribunal astatine Highland Park Junior High School that was built with the assistance of a non-profit founded by erstwhile Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri.

"The aged nett sucked. The shot would conscionable bounce off," said Campbell, who plays for the Tri City Vipers hoops club. "These courts are conscionable better. There's much grip for your shoes."

The makeover task was completed with backing assistance from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Foundation, Sobeys Inc. and Giants of Africa, the enactment that Ujiri founded to bring hoops to antithetic communities. 

Giants of Africa chiefly focuses connected gathering sports infrastructure successful Africa, but the enactment has besides constructed 3 courts successful historically Black neighbourhoods successful Canada — 2 successful Toronto and this 1 successful Halifax's northbound end.

It outgo astir a half-million dollars to build. 

The tribunal has a new acrylic level on with caller nets, bleachers and fencing. The level is painted with agleam colours, a stark opposition to the acheronian asphalt that tops astir different metropolis hoops courts.

Melanie Danna, elder manager of Giants of Africa, said this tribunal is an acknowledgment of the "profound humanities connection" that the Halifax neighbourhood has to Africa.

"This abstraction volition let young radical to make not conscionable their diversion skills, but their enactment abilities, confidence, consciousness of pridefulness and unity," Danna said astatine Monday's opening ceremony. "The tribunal volition let them to imagination big."

Trumaine Izzard, whose 3 sons person each played connected the aged Highland Park schoolhouse court, was happy to spot the installation upgraded.

The caller softer floor will beryllium little stressful connected children's knees and ankles, helium said, and volition let them to "really spell 100 per cent without slipping and falling."

But beyond the applicable benefits, Izzard said helium understands however overmuch hoops means to radical successful Halifax's northbound extremity and helium sees the caller tribunal becoming a staple for the neighbourhood. 

"I cognize the assemblage is truly appreciative of the court," helium said. "It's a marque caller tribunal that the kids tin travel and enjoy. I find that's truly great."