Court is now in session in Yarmouth.
Announced in May but with planning in the works for a couple of years, the Jumpstart Inclusive Multi-Sport Court was completed and soft-launched in October. The play space, located in the northwest corner of the Mariners Centre property, includes barrier-free access and enhanced visibility, as well as provide room to accommodate accessible and standard sports including basketball, sitting volleyball, pickleball and wheelchair tennis.
“This all started with the Mariners Centre expansion,” said Haley Mood, an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Sport Navigator with Sport Nova Scotia who is based in Yarmouth. “The goal is to make it a community hub that is inclusive, accessible and meets everybody’s needs.”
Costs were shared between the Town of Yarmouth, the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth and the Municipality of the District of Argyle in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. Garian Construction Ltd., of Tusket, Yarmouth Co., did the excavation, concrete, asphalt and landscaping.
As an extension of Jumpstart’s national Inclusive Play Program, the court ensures kids of all abilities in the community can participate in sport at an organized level as well as casual play.
“There’s 10 basketball hoops and a full-sized basketball court,” said Mood. “And that can be used for wheelchair basketball as well. There’s also room for a pickleball court, which can be used for wheelchair tennis. There’s also sheltered areas for viewer spectating or for people to rest during games, and it can be used as a general play area if kids just want to have a game of tag or run around for a bit.”
Mood said there has been a lot of interest in the facility since the soft launch. A grand opening is planned for June of next year.
“There have been little kids there. I’ve seen adults, seniors and everybody in between,” said Mood. “I’ve seen families, kids with their parents, and it’s been getting steady use. The curiosity and interest around what a multi-sport court is has generated a lot of buzz. We’re getting a lot of questions surrounding what it can be used for and how can we book a time to use it, so those will be some of the challenges we’ll facing when the weather warms up again in the spring.”
The Mariners Centre expansion also includes plans for a walking track, gym and a pool, with the goal of creating a campus-style hub of activity.
“It’s a huge chance for us to really come together as a community and showcase what we have to offer,” said Mood. “A lot of the feedback received from the expansion was from families who are looking for things to do and from businesses who want to invest in projects that are attractive to families who want to live and work here, and something like the Jumpstart court helps go a long way to be inclusive, accessible and something everyone can enjoy.”
