New bocce court in Brockville, Ont. welcomes players
Residents in Brockville now have a new sport to play, thanks to a local non-profit organization and generous donors.
A two-lane bocce ball court has officially opened in downtown Hardy Park, on the west side where the old shuffleboard courts once sat.
The Brockville and Area Special Olympics had been working since 2017 towards this project.
"The bocce courts here in Brockville came about when the bowling alley closed and displaced 60 athletes," said Lori Murphy, Brockville and Area Special Olympics Bocce Team Head Coach.
"One of those athletes being my daughter, and we needed something to bring these athletes back together," she said. "We started with indoor bocce at Wall Street United Church and had a very successful season but we wanted to carry it to the outdoors."
More than $16,000 was donated towards the project, including $10,700
From 100 Women Who Care Thousand Islands, as well as a $6,000 donation from the Brockville and Area Community Foundation.
The local Special Olympics board contributed the rest, making it a zero-cost project for the city of Brockville.
"Right now we have about 30 athletes that are involved in the Special Olympics bocce program," Murphy added. "One of our athletes, Bree Christie, has recently qualified to hopefully become part of a women’s bocce team for the worlds in 2023."
The courts officially opened on Aug. 9 with a dedication celebration, and more than 100 people attending.
"We're hoping it inspires people to come out, young to our seniors, and enjoy an afternoon of a game that can be for anybody," Murphy added. "It's not geared just for persons with a special need; it's geared for all people because everyone is special."
Bocce balls are available to be signed out through the Brockville Public Library, and Murphy noted team registration is hoping to start in mid-September.
"Even when the athletes come here to practice and play, we've had people come along, have a seat and ask questions," Murphy added. "I'm more than willing to show people what the game is, how it's played, what it's about and who can use it. This is for everybody."
"My best advice is try it, you'll like it," she said. "It's a pretty easy game. You'll enjoy it, you'll have fun and you never know, you just might make a new friend."
Residents looking to play can contact the Brockville Public Library at (613) 342-3936, or reach out to the Brockville and Area Special Olympics through their website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.