Sea Bears partner with Buckets & Borders, Payworks to restore Mayfair court
WINNIPEG – Buckets & Borders, the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Payworks have partnered together to restore two basketball courts close to the city’s core. The organizations aim to remove barriers, connect community and build a platform for more youth to be introduced to the game and reap the positive benefits of it.
Dubbed “the Mayfair Project,” the partnership will see the public court at the corner of River Avenue and Donald Street refurbished with new backboards, standards and rims; and a second, completely new, court added next to it to expand access to basketball in the area. A local Winnipeg artist will then complete a full on-court mural to completely revitalize and enliven the downtown space.
The announcement comes at the heels of the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League) awarding Winnipeg Championship Weekend in 2025. This project will be one of the community initiatives undertaken in conjunction with the full weekend celebration of basketball. It aims to leave a lasting positive impact in the city at the grassroots level of the 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. We’re looking forward to bringing the Sea Bears out to the Mayfair and St. John’s courts this summer, and connecting with youth at these great community spaces,” said Jason Smith, president of the Winnipeg Sea Bears.
The court is scheduled to be completed by Friday, July 5th. The organizations will hold a grand opening on Sunday, July 7th to celebrate with the community.
“Buckets & Borders mandate is to improve communities and bring people together through basketball. Last year we completed our first Winnipeg based project, restoring the outdoor basketball court at St. John's Park. We're grateful for the opportunity to return to Winnipeg and drive impact through the game we love alongside our partners at Payworks and the Winnipeg Sea Bears,” said Justin Lee, CEO and founder of Buckets & Borders.
The restoration at St. John’s Park, highlighted by Jordan Stranger’s “Fly Like An Eagle” mural, has given the area new life. Winnipeg Sea Bears players and coaches already plan to hold a free youth basketball clinic on that court later in the summer.
“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. 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. This will be a place where Winnipeggers of all ages can be proud: of the challenges they’ve met on the court, of their enthusiasm and progression of their skills, and of how they’ve united in working together for a common goal. 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,” said Payworks President and CEO JP Perron.
The Mayfair Project will soon put out a call for local artist. Please stay tuned to the Sea Bears social media (below) for more information.
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About Buckets & Borders
Buckets & Borders (B&B) is a non-profit organization that uses basketball as a means to improve communities and bring people together. A core part of B&B’s mandate is to restore basketball courts with
full scale art pieces completed across the surface of the court. The objective is to create inclusive spaces
that celebrate multiculturalism tell the stories of the communities in which the courts are being restored.
More information can be found at bucketsandborders.com.
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.
More information on the Sea Bears can be found at
seabears.ca and @wpgseabears on Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn & Facebook.
Social Media:
Facebook: /wpgseabears
X: @wpgseabears
Instagram: wpgseabears
