Youth from St James Town take part in a three-on-three game organized by MLSE Team Up Foundation at the launch of the newly refurbished neighbourhood basketball court. Photo by Danielle Jessamy.

Refurbished outdoor basketball court opened in St. James Town
Court a key ingredient in Recipe for Community partnership program.

June 25, 2011

St. James Town residents today celebrated the official opening of a newly refurbished outdoor basketball court, as part of the Recipe for Community Program, as a result of a donation of more than $100,000 by the MLSE Team Up Foundation.

Councillor Pam McConnell, Ward 28 Toronto Centre – Rosedale; Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President and CEO, Toronto Community Foundation; Mike Bartlett, Executive Director, MLSE Team Up Foundation (TUF); and Mitzi Hunter, Chief Administrative Officer, Toronto Community Housing (TCH) joined area residents for the event. The City of Toronto supports the Recipe for Community Program in St. James Town, in partnership with the Community Foundation, TCH and TUF.

"Refurbishing the only outdoor basketball court in St. James Town will help improve the lives of area youth through sports and recreation and will provide a place for the community to gather," said Councillor McConnell. "The generous donation by the MLSE Team Up Foundation is an important community investment that sets an excellent example of what we can accomplish through public/private partnership."

"The Toronto Community Foundation is very pleased to have been able to work with our fundholders and donors to provide the resources and relationships to help make Recipe for Community and its projects, such as the refurbished basketball court, a reality and a success," said Bhardwaj. "But, success is far more than just the physical change. We hope and expect that St. James Town residents will use the new court facilities to play together, connect with each other and grow stronger as a community."

“We are thrilled to be here today to celebrate the refurbishment of the outdoor basketball court with the St. James Town community, said Bartlett.  "Strengthening community engagement and belonging through sports is at the centre of our vision.  We hope that our investment in this basketball court will inspire the residents of this community, both young and old, to come together to celebrate and share this space.”    

"The new basketball court is a slam dunk win for St. James Town," said Hunter. "Toronto Community Housing's vision is to contribute to a city where quality, affordable housing is available in vibrant neighbourhoods, where residents are proud of the place there they live, and where people feel connected to each other and their community. Partnerships like Recipe for Community and the MLSE Team Up Foundation help build healthy communities by promoting tenant involvement and fostering a sense of community pride and ownership."

The Recipe for Community Program features resident-inspired projects to strengthen the community's sense of belonging and pride, and to build community.  Projects focus on
neighbourhood greening and beautification, community gathering, food and nutrition and youth engagement.

The basketball court refurbishment is part of the more than $500,000 in investments made by public and private sector partners in St. James Town through the Program. Other investments include a carpentry skills program, small business development training, bicycle repair and safety, cooking and nutrition programs and the creation of new outdoor gathering spaces including an outdoor movie theatre.

Recipe for Community was initiated following the 2008 release of the Toronto Community Foundation's Vital Signs report, which identified a low sense of belonging as an issue in the city. In 2009, the Recipe for Community Program made its successful debut in Toronto Community Housing's Alexandra Park community.

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