2 brothers save neighbourhood basketball net after city threatens to remove it

TORONTO — A basketball net installed on the lawn outside the Bourret home near Kingston Road and Waverley Road quickly turned into a popular hangout for the neighbourhood’s children.

“It just united the neighbourhood and made us discover new kids that weren’t there,” said Bernard Bourret, who installed the net for his two sons Mitchell and Jackson in the summer of 2014.

Children from the area would frequent the home to shoot hoops, so Bourret began leaving basketballs on his porch.

That came to an abrupt end this July when the family was visited by a city of Toronto bylaw officer who informed them that their net encroached onto city property and therefore had to be taken down.

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“We were a little disappointed, because like every parent we want our kids to not be in front of the screens, but be outside and playing,” said Bernard.

Jackson, 16, decided to fight back and organized a petition urging the city to rethink its rules in this case. He gathered a modest 59 signatures by himself.

“In my opinion we shouldn’t remove the basketball net because it’s what a lot of kids like to do out here, and like to do with us,” he said.

READ MORE: City threatens to issue tickets to residents with hockey, basketball nets

The area’s city councillor, Mary-Margaret McMahon, agreed and brought forward a motion in council allowing Mitchell and Jackson’s net to remain where it is, exempt from the bylaw’s reach.

She acknowledged it was a minor technicality that allowed it to be applied in such a frivolous case in the first place.

“It was the string of the net that was overhanging the net that was considered encroachment,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It was the string of the net that was overhanging the net that was considered encroachment," she said.

The net is now back up, just in time for the Raptor’s season. Eleven-year-old Mitchell is a huge fan, “especially of Kyle Lowry because he’s such a good player,” he said.

Bernard believes his sons have learned an important lesson thanks to their efforts in taking on city hall.

“When there’s a rule that makes sense, but doesn’t make sense for everybody all the time then it makes sense to ask questions about it, and see if we can get it changed,” Bernard said.

“And that’s what he did.”