N.B. teens hit courts as officials look to boost cross-border visits

CANUSA Showcase attracts close to 100 Canadian athletes for what organizers hope will be annual tournament alternating between Maine and New Brunswick

Article content Organizers from Maine and New Brunswick hope the revival of a former sports tradition will help rekindle and strengthen the relationship between the international neighbours at a time when border traffic to the United States has dwindled. From July 24 to 26, the border communities of Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, Maine, will stage what they hope will become an annual basketball tournament, alternating each year between the state and New Brunswick. Approximately 100 teenage athletes on eight teams, seven from New Brunswick and one from Yarmouth, N.S., will travel to northern Maine to take part in the CANUSA Showcase.

The tournament’s origins harken back to the CANUSA Games, an international sports and cultural exchange between Riverview, N.B., and Brewer, Maine, which ran from 1969 to 1994. “The State of Maine has put its full support behind this initiative because they really want to encourage Canadians to come back to Maine, sooner, better than later. And, one of the ways to do that is through sports, just like the World Cup or the Olympics, where you get away from all the politics and focus on sports,” said Ben Morrison, one of the key Canadian organizers.

“We thought this would be a great way to bring teams together from both sides of the border and build those relationships.” The U.S. has seen a 26.6-per-cent drop in border crossings since Donald Trump assumed the presidency on Jan. 20, 2025. This is despite recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection data showing that the number of travellers entering Maine through New Brunswick via passenger vehicle increased year over year in March, April, and May.

It’s the first time that’s happened since Trump was sworn in. Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, sees the data as encouraging, and her department looks to build off that momentum. “We’re excited that these CANUSA Games have been revived.

I think we know from so many things that sporting events are powerful opportunities for cross-border connection, as seen from the CANUSA Games in the 1960s to the current World Cup,” said Ouellette, whose department provided an $18,750 grant to tournament organizers to cover the cost of lodging for New Brunswick participants. “I think the camaraderie that’s built on the floor and in the stands persists long after the game. So we’re excited because I think this exemplifies the strong friendship between Canadians and Mainers and many of the traditions that have bonded us together for so many years.”

The tournament will feature 16 teams, eight from each country. The high school boys division will include Maine teams from Calais, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent and Madawaska. Four teams from New Brunswick include squads from the Fredericton area, Woodstock, Charlotte County and a team composed of players from Moncton’s Ecole L’Odyssee and Saint John schools, Samuel de Champlain, Saint John High and St. Malachy’s.

The middle school division is expected to include three teams from the Woodstock, N.B., area and three Maine teams: Caribou, Fort Fairfield and a squad composed of Skowhegan and Presque Isle athletes. Canadian teams will play each of their American divisional counterparts in a round-robin format. The combined win/loss records of each country’s squads will determine the winner of the CANUSA Cup.

The top two Canadian teams in each age group will also play the top two Maine teams in a semi-final/final format to determine the tournament champions in the high school and middle school divisions. “It’s interesting being able to go across borders to play ball. It’s cool to meet people from different cultures.

So, I think this will be fun, and a good experience,” said point guard Evan MacQueen, 18, who just graduated from Saint John High. “I also heard from Coach (Morrison) that some Maine university scouts could be there. It’s just good to get Canadian ball more recognition down there.“

Added teammate James Nzodom, a 15-year-old entering Grade 10 at Samuel de Champlain: “I am very grateful to be here, and I just want to play ball down there and maybe get some buckets too. “American basketball culture is typically stronger than Canadian. But one thing we can’t forget is this: Canada is where basketball comes from, and also, if you look at the NBA right now, it’s been a while since an American has been their MVP.

And in the last two years, the MVP has been Canadian: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Canadians have had a deep impact on basketball,” said Nzodom, who emigrated to Canada from Cameroon with his family three years ago. Tournament organizer Larry Gardner said that, in addition to the opportunity to win the CANUSA Cup, medals, and all-tournament team honours, each player will also receive a CANUSA T-shirt featuring the event’s motto: “Basketball Has No Borders.”

Gardner said at the tournament’s end, all participants will gather at centre court in their commemorative T-shirts for a group photo to illustrate that principle. “It’s about building friendships and good sportsmanship. Let’s play some basketball.

Let’s have some fun. Let’s meet some new people and make new friends. Everything is good, everything is positive and benefits everybody,” said Gardner.

Adds Ouellette: “We’ve had such a strong bond and such a strong relationship, and we certainly understand all the things that have changed the dynamic of visitation. “But we are here to welcome Canadians back whenever they’re comfortable. It’s just part of who we are, and it’s just part of a longstanding tradition.

You’re our friends, neighbours and family, so we’re here to welcome you back when everyone is ready,” the Maine Tourism Office director said.