When a fire in May 2010 severely damaged a local historical landmark in St. Stephen, it also sparked old memories of the history of basketball in the community. St. Stephen is a basketball town and, over the years, pride in local coaches, players, and teams has become a part of the fabric of the community. Realizing what could be lost forever, concerned citizens rallied together to raise over 1 million dollars to purchase the building which houses the court. Now, with the building secured, the community is setting out to create a destination attraction for basketball fans and other tourists alike.
The cost for the entire project is expected to be $18 million with funding targeted equally from private donors, provincial contributions, and federal support. Currently the dedicated fundraising team has raised over $2.5 million of the targetted $6 million from private donors.
The Canada First Basketball Experience Centre will offer hall-of-fame-quality information and physical engagement to generate repeat visitation to generate excitement, interaction and participation with fans of all ages.
Supporting events
- Annual Marquee Game in St. Stephen (NBA pre-season, NBA minor league teams, Canadian/US college games, Globe Trotters, celebrity games, National Basketball League of Canada).
- 3 on 3 tournament.
- Basketball camps and tournaments.
- Cross-border tournament or challenge.
5th Annual The Archie Weekend
August 20th - 22nd, 2026
An annual 3-day weekend fundraiser for the World’s Oldest Basketball Court project named after Lyman Archibald who was instrumental in bringing basketball to the court. The Archie includes a celebrity golf tournament at the beautiful Algonquin Golf Course in St. Andrews, an evening of great food and live entertainment, tours of the World’s Oldest Basketball Court in St. Stephen and our annual 3x3 youth basketball tournament called Legends Jam.
Special for 2026 for the first time ever Canada Basketball will be bringing their Hall of Fame induction ceremony to St. Stephen and we'll be celebrating with all day events.
Thursday, August 20th - Saturday, August 22nd 2026
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Don't Miss The Tip-Off of The Archie
Bring the whole family to St. Stephen, N.B. on Thursday, August 20th starting at noon for a basketball block party packed with live music, food vendors, street performers, games & contests and World's Oldest Basketball Court tours. We're excited to also be hosting Canada Basketball's Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and have basketball celebrities with us throughout the day. We'll cap the evening off with a Waterfront Kitchen Party packed full of music, entertainment and special Hall of Fame moments.
We're honoured to be partnering with Canada Basketball for their Hall of Fame event.
Don't Miss Your Tee Time
We're taking over the beautiful Algonquin Golf Course for our 5th annual celebrity golf tournament featuring 28 teams and packed full of prizes.
Our evening will feature a special sponsorship appreciation event at Char and Chowder.
Golf Team Registration is Sold Out! We're so happy with the support and excitement for The Archie Celebrity Golf Tournament. We currently have all our team spots filled. Thank you so much!
Are You Ready For 3x3 Action?
The World’s Oldest Basketball Court is partnering with the Southwest Regional Basketball Association and Basketball New Brunswick to bring together basketball leaders from our local communities and across the country to deliver instruction on skills & drills to support your game and conversations to drive your passion. Wrapping it all up with a half court 3x3 tournament so everyone can show off their legendary status.
Meet Our Team
The people who are working to make this dream a reality.
Founding Partners
Highlighting partners that joined right from the start.