- Written by Imran Ahmad, President
On June 20, 2026, we did something we’d never done before – co-hosted our first-ever 3-on-3 Community Basketball Tournament with the Downtown Edmonton Community League at O-day’min Park. Mother Nature had other ideas, but the players, volunteers and our working team didn’t let that deter them!
What we’ll remember most isn’t the scores but the folks who came out, played hard, and helped us get our first tournament off the ground. The sportsmanship and community pride made it clear there is a real appetite for this kind of event in Edmonton’s core.
Powered by the City of Edmonton
This event was made possible through generous funding from the City of Edmonton’s Downtown Vibrancy Fund, part of the City’s broader Downtown Action Plan – a roadmap for making Edmonton’s core a more vibrant, active, and welcoming place for everyone.
One of the Action Plan’s core priorities is increasing public programming and activities downtown. Our tournament was a natural fit for that goal: bringing residents, families, and athletes out to O-day’min Park for a day of sport, community, and connection in Edmonton’s core.
That investment covered the overwhelming majority of our event costs, with both community leagues contributing minimally dollars (but tons of volunteer time and effort). Thank you, City of Edmonton!
Event Highlights
- Community Hoops: Players competed with heart and genuine sportsmanship — rain and all.
- Local Food & Refreshments: Attendees fuelled up with offerings from Jack’s Burgers, Kind Ice Cream, and Laker Coffee — three local spots who brought great energy to the day.
- Music & Family Fun: A live DJ kept the atmosphere going all day, while face painting kept the kids (and a few adults) entertained between games.
- Community Guests: A big thank you to Councillor Anne Stevenson, MLA David Shepherd and Mayor Andrew Knack for coming out to show their support — it means a lot to have our local representatives invested in grassroots community building.
What We Learned — and What’s Next
Running an outdoor tournament in Edmonton in June is an adventure and a half. We came away with a lot of lessons, great partnerships, and a sense of what we want to build on for next year. The players who showed up in the rain and played anyway told us everything we needed to know – there is a real appetite for accessible, outdoor sport programming in Edmonton’s core.
WCL and DECL are already looking ahead to how we grow this into an annual event for our neighbourhoods and for downtown Edmonton.
Thank you to our volunteers, vendors, players, and partners for making our first year one worth building on. See you on the court in 2027!
