The Strands Senior Basketball Team that is being honored in 1995 was organized in 1958 by a group of young men from New Waterford and its surrounding area. The coach of this team from 1959 through 1966 was Marshall "Duffy" Desveaux.

The team was named the "Strands" after the great Strands teams that represented New Waterford so well during the 1930's and 40's while playing out of the "Strands Gym" which was situated on the corner of Plummer Avenue and King Street. The original Strands team culminated their existence by winning the Canadian Intermediate Championship in 1948, and Marshall Desveaux was a valued member of this team. So it was with great pride that the Strands name was used by this new wave of basketball players.

These players came mainly from Central, Mount Carmel, and St. Agnes High Schools. The team played in the Cape Breton Senior Basketball League which had teams representing Glace Bay, New Waterford, Sydney, and Antigonish.

From 1959 to 1966, the Strands Senior Basketball Team won seven Nova Scotia Championships and five Maritime Championships under the faithful guidance of Marshall "Duffy" Desveaux.

Ray (Bozo) Steele Claire Larade

Al Dwyer Spike MacKinnon

Frank (Smoothie) Burns Karl Marsh

Mike Roberts Lex MacDonald

Russell MacNeil Francis MacLean

Marshall Desveaux Wayne MacGibbon

Vince Gillis Ray Canning

Jerry MacNeil John King

Don MacAuley John Rockwell

Mike Chiasson Roger Guyaux

Claude MacKenzie Simon Chiasson

Mello Nearing Pat Larade

Francis Steele George Gregor

Ronnie MacGibbon Wilfred MacEachern

Clarence Roach Allie Leadbeater

Jackie Demeter Bobby Mullins

Andre des Jardines

Coach: Marshall "Duffy" Desveaux