The federal government is preparing to announce a $76-million investment in a new national basketball facility to be built at Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus in Etobicoke, Ont., according to sources who spoke with CBC Sports.
The planned facility, described as a state-of-the-art community centre, will include six gyms designed to support provincial, national and international competitions, along with a high-performance training centre. The site, which is expected to break ground next year, will also serve as the home base for Canada Basketball’s national operations.
As part of the arrangement, the federal government is committing to making the facility, referred to as “The Hub,” available for 32,000 hours of community use annually.
Funding Sources Beyond Federal Dollars
The $76-million federal contribution will not be the only funding source for the project. Canada Basketball plans to partner with Humber Polytechnic on a private donor campaign that will include opportunities for naming rights. Humber Capital and student fee allocations are also expected to contribute funding, and there is a possibility that the provincial government could add further support.
Separately, Canada Basketball is set to receive $1.8 million in supplemental funding. This represents the second installment of a $660 increase in core funding for national sport organizations that was first announced in April. A related $2.77-million top-up for Alpine Canada was announced days earlier.
Part of a Broader Infrastructure Push
The basketball facility investment adds to a series of federal commitments toward sport infrastructure across the country. Other recent investments include $9.8 million toward planning a Canada Soccer national facility and $33.6 million toward rehabilitating Calgary’s Olympic Oval, along with funding for a Canada Snowboard national training centre and a national alpine centre.
These commitments, including the new basketball facility funding, are being drawn from the Build Communities Strong Fund, a 10-year federal initiative valued at $51 billion aimed at Canadian infrastructure development.
Wednesday’s announcement at Humber Polytechnic is expected to feature federal secretary of sport Adam van Koeverden, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, federal secretary of state for labour John Zerucelli, Canada Basketball president and CEO Mike Bartlett, and Humber Polytechnic president and CEO Ann Marie Vaughan. Canadian basketball players RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Michelle Plouffe and Yvonne Ejim are also expected to attend the event.
Canada currently has a significant presence in professional basketball, with 23 NBA players as of the start of last season — second only to the United States — including reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Five Canadians are currently playing in the WNBA. Canada’s national teams rank among the top seven internationally for both men and women, though the women’s team recently missed qualification for the World Cup and has yet to win an Olympic medal, while the men’s team earned bronze at the 2023 World Cup and returned to the Olympics in 2024 after a 24-year absence.
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