VICTORIA - For the first time in program history, the University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball team will travel to Yellowknife, N.W.T., this week, but the journey north is about far more than the games on the schedule.
From Oct. 9-11, the Vikes will take part in the inaugural
North of 60 Classic, a first-of-its-kind women's basketball tournament bringing six U SPORTS programs to Yellowknife with a mission that extends well beyond competition.
Founded by University of Toronto alumna Janet Enge, the event aims to bring elite women's basketball to Canada's north while creating new opportunities for youth, strengthening local basketball infrastructure, and celebrating women-led leadership in sport.
For Vikes head coach
Carrie Watts, the opportunity reflects the power of university sport to inspire the next generation.
"I think this is such an important event not only for U SPORTS basketball, but also for Yellowknife," said Watts. "Getting to showcase women's basketball and how competitive and skilled these athletes are will hopefully help inspire young athletes in the region, while also providing a great platform for our athletes as leaders and role models."
The trip marks the first time the Vikes have travelled to the Northwest Territories and offers student-athletes an opportunity to connect with a community where access to high-performance sport is often limited by geography.
Throughout the tournament, players from all six participating teams will visit local schools and lead youth basketball clinics. The Vikes will spend time at École Sir John Franklin High School, sharing their experiences as student-athletes and introducing young players to the possibilities sport can create.
As part of a legacy initiative, Basketball NWT is working to upgrade local gymnasium infrastructure, including new flooring, updated hoops and rims, FIBA court markings and equipment that will help improve training and competition opportunities for northern athletes.
The event is also being organized by women, for women. From Enge's vision to the support of community leaders, coaches and athletes, the North of 60 Classic is shining a spotlight on female leadership while creating opportunities for the next generation to see themselves represented on and off the court.
For the Vikes, that mission resonates with existing relationships built through community basketball initiatives closer to home.
The Vikes also have several connections to the event. North of 60 Classic founder Enge spent time with the Junior Vikes basketball program in 2019, while current Vikes student-athlete
Bella Graves helped strengthen ties through her involvement with Coastal Wave Basketball and the W̱SÁNEĆ Qelaxen team. Through that work, Graves connected with fellow event organizer Paige Crozon, a Canadian Olympian, Team Canada 3x3 athlete and founder of One Sky Sports.
A longtime advocate for growing basketball opportunities in Indigenous communities, Crozon has collaborated with Coastal Wave Basketball for several years, including leading the second annual Indigenous Girls Basketball Super Camp and free coaches clinic held at UVic.
Alongside competition on the court, the Vikes will participate in school visits, youth clinics and a cultural dinner featuring traditional Northern and Dene games, creating opportunities to learn from and connect with the communities welcoming them.
While the experience offers valuable cultural and community connections, the basketball will be equally competitive. UVic will face Lakehead on Oct. 9, Laurier on Oct. 10 and Toronto on Oct. 11 as the team continues its preparations for the Vikes Invitational and upcoming Canada West season.
