(Photo: Facebook)
by Scott Granville
One of the unsung heroes of the surge of local basketball popularity in Belleville has passed away after a lengthy health battle.
Louis Meloche was one of the creators and instrumental leaders of the local and legendary basketball court affectionately called The Ghetto.
Located at the Hastings & Prince Edward School Board office parking lot on the south end of Dundas & William streets in Belleville, The Ghetto helped develop some of the best and most talented basketball players in the Quinte area who went on to play college, and university basketball and beyond.
Future Olympic hopefuls, former professional football players, NHL players, and even Stanley Cup winners played pick-up basketball at The Ghetto from 1975 until about 2000 when the hoops were finally taken down.
Named after the famous basketball court in New York City, Rucker Park, The Ghetto was the dream of a couple of Belleville teenagers in 1975 to pay homage to Julius Erving, or Dr. J, and other stars of street-ball played in Harlem. A documentary the Belleville kids saw on ABC’s Wide World of Sports that year that eventually led Julius Erving to NBA stardom, and started the genesis of the idea in a small town in Ontario.
In 1975, there were very few people in Canada who had ever even heard of Dr. J. Lou was way ahead of his time. He was not normal. He was a beauty.
Local sports icon Marc Crawford grew up with Lou and when not travelling playing hockey, he practically lived at The Ghetto during his high school years along with many of the famous Crawford clan.
Crawford: “Louis, along with his older brother Frank, and myself were huge NBA fans in the 70s. We played everywhere we could find a net. To get a court and to have our own Ghetto was beyond all of our wildest dreams. Louis was a driving force and it serves as a wonderful legacy for him,” said the family friend.
Meloche’s family arrived in Belleville from the small suburb of Montreal called Baie D’Urfe in 1972. Just think of the moxy of a 14-year-old, to confidently present his idea to the head of the school board requesting hockey and basketball nets set up to help keep the neighbourhood kids off the streets. This kid was special.
Little did Louis know that all of Belleville and the surrounding area would soon learn of this new court and hangout spot. It became the cool place to hang. Players were known as Ghetto Dwellers and the Dwellers went on to become coaches, teachers and high school principals. Even the president of the Toronto Star and the president of the Ontario Power Generation played ball at the infamous court.
Belleville Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Farrell, understood the importance of the court as an integral part of basketball development in the area.
“Belleville basketball junkies have very fond memories of a local court affectionately called The Ghetto. All of the players who got so much enjoyment while improving their games at this legendary site are very thankful to Louis Meloche who sadly passed away this week. Louis was one of the people responsible for the development of the court,” said Coach Farrell after hearing of Lou’s passing.
Kudos to the city for taking the initiative and building the courts at the Tom Gavey sports complex on Pine Street. You have to love the Friendly City for that.
Meloche was a visionary and a dreamer and a true lover of sports. A Montreal Canadiens fan through and through, Lou was immensely proud of his niece and local hockey star, Hanna Bunton, and was often seen, and loudly heard, at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, New York, where Hanna starred at Cornell University before turning pro.
Basketball in Belleville is better thanks to The Ghetto and thanks to the man who was instrumental in its development. Lou Gehrig would have been proud of this ironman. Louis Meloche will be sadly missed.
A celebration of life is planned for the end of the month.
