Sea Bears to Partner With Buckets & Borders, Payworks for Grand Opening of New Downtown Court Sunday
WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Sea Bears are proud to partner with Buckets & Borders and Payworks to debut a new outdoor court space at the corner of Donald St. and River Ave. in a grand opening ceremony this Sunday, July 7 at 11 a.m. In addition to unveiling the new court, the four-hour event will feature free youth programming, all-ages basketball contests, food, giveaways, a live DJ and more.
Initially announced in April, the restoration project includes the addition of an entirely new court alongside a refurbishment of the space’s existing court with new backboards, stanchions and rims.
Dubbed “the Mayfair Project,” the initiative represents one step in the Sea Bears’ commitment to enhancing basketball in the Winnipeg community ahead of hosting CEBL Championship Weekend, a weekend-long celebration of the sport, in Summer 2025.
See the full agenda for the grand opening below:
11:00 a.m. – Opening Ceremony, Free Youth Programming
12:00 p.m. – Live DJ, Food, Basketball Festival Commences
12:30 p.m. – Three-Point and Two-Ball Competition, Giveaways
2:00 p.m. – Local All-Star Game
“We’re honoured to have the opportunity to get more kids into the game of basketball and provide safer spaces for them to learn, grow and play,” said Sea Bears President Jason Smith. “We’re looking forward to bringing the Sea Bears out to the Mayfair court and connecting with youth at these great community spaces.”
“Buckets & Borders’ mandate is to improve communities and bring people together through basketball,” said Justin Lee, the organization’s CEO and co-founder. “We're grateful to work with leading community-minded organizations like the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Payworks to bring this two-court restoration to life. The Mayfair courts encompass the love for the game of basketball in Winnipeg and will be a space for youth to play and be introduced to the game for years to come."
“Payworks is thrilled to participate in The Mayfair Project and honoured to give back to the city we’ve called home for almost 25 years,” said Payworks President and CEO JP Perron. “The Mayfair Project will bring far more to the neighbourhood than just beautiful basketball courts. This shared space will have its own sense of community, where all are welcome to gather, grow and be inspired. We look forward to The Mayfair Project being a space that motivates and encourages those that use it to take chances and – most of all – have a lot of fun in doing so.”
The project was made possible in part by funding from the provincial government.
The Sea Bears look forward to connecting with the community at the event to celebrate the opening of the new shared space.
The team will play their next home game when they host the Vancouver Bandits for a 7:30 p.m. CT matchup on Saturday, July 13. For tickets, visit seabears.ca/tickets.
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About the Winnipeg Sea Bears
The Winnipeg Sea Bears joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) as an expansion franchise in 2023. The city's only professional basketball team plays out of Canada Life Centre from May to August in a 20-game regular season schedule. In the team’s inaugural season, it placed second in the Western Conference and set new records for CEBL attendance on three occasions. The organization became the first in CEBL history to win four major awards: MVP (Teddy Allen), Sixth Man of the Year (Jelani Watson-Gayle), U SPORTS Player of the Year (Simon Hildebrandt) and Coach of the Year. The front office subsequently was awarded the 2023 CEBL Franchise of the Year. Winnipeg lawyer and businessman David Asper is the organization's owner and chairman.
More information on the Sea Bears can be found at seabears.ca and @wpgseabears on Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn & Facebook.
About the CEBL
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75 per cent of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment andCourtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube
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