Sea Bears, Payworks, Regina non-profit schedule celebratory court date in Osborne Village

It’s a pretty compelling court case, particularly for basketball enthusiasts in the Osborne Village neighbourhood.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears pro hoops club, locally-based payroll firm Payworks and Regina non-profit Buckets & Borders are teaming up for the “Mayfair Project” — installing a new basketball court and completely restoring the existing one at the corner of River Avenue and Donald Street.

A local artist, not yet chosen, will paint a mural on one of the courts adjacent to the Mayfair Recreation Centre.

The project is expected to be completed by July 5, and a grand opening is scheduled two days later.

Sea Bears president Jason Smith said the Canadian Elite Basketball League club is showing the team’s commitment to the community by donating $75,000 to the project.

“It’s important to us that we’re good Winnipeggers, good corporate citizens, and that we’re able to take some of the success we have and ideally help improve community spaces for basketball and access for kids,” Smith said Friday.

“(The) Buckets & Borders program does all of those things and does them well, so it’s a really good fit for us.”

Smith said the Sea Bears, who played their inaugural season last year, plan to build a longer-term partnership with the non-profit, which restores and builds new courts around the world.

Last year, it partnered with local artist Jordan Stranger to repair and paint a mural on a community court in St. John’s Park in Winnipeg’s North End.

The Sea Bears drew league-record-breaking numbers of attendees last year, and the number of season-ticket holders has tripled to more than 2,000 in advance of the team’s sophomore season, which begins May 22, Smith said.

More than 5,000 tickets have been sold for the May 24 home opener at Canada Life Centre.

“Season 2 is looking good,” he said.

Earlier this week, the league chose the team as the host for the 2025 championship weekend.

The basketball court project is part of the community initiatives the team plans to undertake in conjunction with the championship.

More details on what the weekend will include, on top of the games, will be announced through the summer.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca