A St. Stephen native has made a significant contribution to a piece of history in his hometown.
Bruce Buchanan gave $3 million to the Basketball Experience Centre, home of the world’s oldest basketball court.
Buchanan grew up across the street from David and Gordon Ganong.
“I knew that David was heading up this project,” Buchanan said.
“I really wanted to help David and I really wanted to help St. Stephen to celebrate this historic finding.”
The contribution will speed up the project’s completion.
David Ganong said the $3 million got the project “very close” to its fundraising goal of $6 million.
“This is much more than a financial contribution,” Ganong said.
“Bruce Buchanan’s generosity reflects a deep connection to his hometown and a belief in the importance of preserving St. Stephen’s basketball heritage while creating a destination that can contribute to the community’s future.”
Buchanan said when he became aware of the project, he reached out to Ganong and learned about the funding gap.
“I wanted to finish the project off for them,” he added.
The Basketball Experience Centre is being developed around the history of the oldest basketball court and the story of basketball in St. Stephen.
The project has already gotten strong community and philanthropic support.
It’s also gaining recognition in Canada’s basketball community, and St. Stephen’s hosting of the 2026 Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame celebration showed the community’s ability to host major basketball events and highlighted the court’s potential as a nationally significant destination.
Bryan Tait is an award-winning journalist based in New Brunswick. He’s a 2008 graduate of St. Thomas University’s journalism program, and a 2021 graduate of the University of New Brunswick’s law program. Contact Bryan at taitb@radioabl.ca.