Go northwest from Almonte on Country Road 29, turn right on James Naismith Way, go all the way to the end before it becomes private roads and over on the left you will see a house with the James Naismith plaque on the front wall to the right of the front door. Although a historical site, private owners occupy the property.
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| Appropriately the property includes a basketball court. |
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JAMES NAISMITH
(1861—1939) |
James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was born on this farm in Ramsay Township. While studying theology in Montréal, he played a number of sports and became interested in the new discipline of physical education. In 1891, as a teacher in Massachusetts, he recognized the need for a new indoor activity to promote fitness in place of the traditional winter routine of marching, gymnastics and calisthenics. Feeling that a non-contact team game was the best answer, he devised the sport of basketbasll. His game is now played in over one hundred countries around the world.
James Naismith, l'inventeur du basketball, est né dans cette ferme du township de Ramsay. Au cours de ses études de théologie à Montréal, il pratiqua divers sports et s'intéressa à la nouvelle discipline qu'était l'éducation physique. En 1891, alors qu'il enseignait aud Massachusetts, il chercha à remplacer les traditionelles séances de marche et de gymnastique de rigueur en hiver par un activité nouvelle, idéalement un jeu d'équipe sans contact. Il inventa alors le basketball, sport maintenant pratiqué dans plus de 100 pays du monde.
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Commission des lieux et monumnets historiques du Canada
Government of Canada - Gouvernement du Canada
