A former helicopter landing pad turned basketball court was unveiled Aug. 6, combining public art and athletics to improve community in downtown Calgary.  

The project is a collaboration between the City of Calgary’s Downtown strategy and the Beltline Urban Mural Project (BUMP) festival, a community-led nonprofit focused on public art. The project worked with the Calgary Surge basketball club to offer basketball drop-ins, clinics, and youth-specific training initiatives. 

According to Mayor Farkas, the opening of this basketball court marks an exciting new chapter. He noted that in a city like Calgary, public spaces are incredibly valuable for social sustainability. 

“Together, we’re taking another step toward enhancing our downtown and creating a new place where every single Calgarian can come together and feel welcome,” he said. 

Coun. Mike Atkinson said the idea emerged from a UofC urban studies project that explored ways to reuse public space. Students proposed turning the former helipad into a basketball court, a concept that quickly gained support from the city’s downtown strategy team and community partners. 

BUMP provided a 6,000-square-foot mural across the former helipad, created by Montreal artist Marc-Olivier Lamothe. The project embraces the unique character of the helipad, bringing energy to Calgary’s downtown riverfront. 

Lamothe said the project carries a personal connection for him.

“Seeing all those people playing basketball on it, it definitely has layers of meaning; it’s so cool to see,” he said.

“It definitely makes the artwork more meaningful.”

According to Ryan Tram, BUMP’s director of festival events, combining art and action creates an important place for the community. 

“This is part of something bigger,” he said.

“It’s creating places where people feel they know that they belong, where friendships begin, where communities grow stronger and where every young person can imagine a bright future for themselves.” 

Calgary Surge basketball initiatives

Thirteen-year-old Sebastian Martinez, a long-time participant in Calgary Surge basketball programs, views the programs they provide as a valuable asset to the community and local kids. 

“When some people look at a court, they might just see a space for kids to play in and have fun,” he said. 

“But the truth is that for kids my age and families all over Calgary, the court is like a second home, and it’s a place where you can learn values like teamwork, respect, and resilience.”

Last summer, the organization welcomed more than 1,100 registrants from more than 300 families through its downtown basketball programming. With 93 per cent of those participants coming from outside the downtown core, it showed how public courts draw people into the city and help build connections across neighbourhoods. 

Looking ahead, the Calgary Surge will host free programming throughout the summer for youth basketball coaching. Surge president Dylan Howe said the goal is to remove barriers to participation and create a gathering that extends beyond organized sport. 

“This gives us a practical way to build community downtown by creating places he will actually want to use and to return to,” he said. 

“This project is a great example of that. A former helipad now has a new purpose.”

Moving forward

According to Carly Ferguson, the leader of strategy and placemaking for the City, expanding the urbanization of riverfront pathways on the west side of Eau Claire is just one of many improvements ahead. 

“Downtown Strategy is hoping to support the transformation of a Monday-to-Friday employment core to a true 24/7 residential neighbourhood,” she said.

“We’re really looking at how we can use underutilized spaces to create that community amenity and places for the community to come together and have a backyard space.”

The Helipad Hoops court is now open to the public and is part of a broader effort to activate Calgary’s downtown. The host of the reveal, Priscilla Cherry, hopes people leave the court feeling connected with themselves and the people around them.

“I hope people leave feeling more creative and inspired to create in their own lives. I hope they feel whimsical and playful,” she said.