Sheguiandah First Nation Community Court

The Sheguiandah First Nation Community Court is a groundbreaking community-led project situated at the heart of the Sheguiandah First Nation on Manitoulin Island (Mnidoo Mnising). As the project’s landscape architect, ERA Architects collaborated with Anishnaabe artist Emily Kewageshing in revitalizing an existing deteriorated sports court into a dynamic place for all ages to play, gather, garden and exercise at the heart of the community. The project was a partnership between Sheguiandah First Nation, NBA Canada, Toronto Raptors, MLSE Foundation, Ellis Don, and key project advisor United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising. This project was recognized with a 2024 Award of Excellence for Small-Scale Public Landscapes.

ERA’s core challenge as the project’s landscape architect was to work closely with the community to craft a landmark design which conveyed Sheguiandah First Nation’s unique identity and execute that vision with integrity while working within a modest budget. For this, ERA worked closely with Sheguiandah First Nation during the pre-design phase in developing a framework for the project that allowed for meaningful dialogue and the space and time required for collective decision making. Working with project funders, ERA helped to create value-added paid positions for local youth leaders to take on meaningful roles participating and facilitating the community engagement process.

To round out the design team, ERA assisted the community with an RFP process in which Emily Kewageshing was selected by the Youth Leaders to lead the court mural design. Over the course of a year, the design team listened, tested ideas, shared meals, and played basketball in the community. Through a series of in-person and virtual workshops, this unique collaborative design approach made the Youth Leaders the core decision-makers, with the outcome reflecting the values, interests and identity of the community. As co-designers, the Youth Leaders were involved in the process from the early ideation stages through construction. By the time the court opened, the sense of ownership and pride in the youth highlighted where we succeeded together.

To develop a landmark design within a modest budget in a remote community, it was key for ERA to establish relationships with local contractors, suppliers, and organizations early in the design process. Working collaboratively with the key project advisors, United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising and Ellis Don, the design prioritized locally sourced materials and local Indigenous-owned businesses to reduce cost while investing in the local economy. Through the early engagement and relationship building with these local construction partners, time and material donations also became a key part of the project success.

The court brings together basketball play, custom built skateboard ramps and rails, landscape-integrated spectator seating from locally sourced stone, a fire pit zone, lighting and new native plantings and demonstrates landscape architecture’s leadership potential for fostering strategic partnerships, cultural sensitivity, and innovative processes culminating in design excellence.