Three years ago, Ottawa did have a football team - the Redblacks - but they played the game with the 'wrong' ball. Then in 2020, Spanish giants Atletico Madrid founded Atletico Ottawa - a gap in the market seized upon due to the folding of Ottawa Fury in 2019. A similar move to that of the Red Bull Group and the City Group, who both own franchises in MLS.
At the same time, Bassett was back in the UK having spent two seasons in New Zealand. The diminutive Northern Irish midfielder, who has been capped at Under-19 level for his country, moved there to rediscover his love for the game and try new experiences off the field.
The Yeovil Town academy player had spent time in England's notoriously no-nonsense non-league system with Dorchester Town, and although he made an impact in a struggling side, he had lost his enjoyment for the game.
After agreeing on a move to Iceland, Pacific FC in the CPL came calling. A transfer to Canada, to a new league, was an opportunity the central midfielder could not turn down, and chose the west coast of Canada over a move to the land of fire and ice.
Bassett picks up the story: "It was late 2020 when Covid happened and I was back home in the UK playing in non-league trying to keep fit. I was meant to move to the first division in Iceland in January 2021. I had a flight booked and everything was pretty much agreed, the only thing I had to do was get there and sign for the club.
"Then the Pacific FC manager (Pa-Modou Kah) called me and he offered me a chance to come to Canada and play here instead. I'd always had my eye on the CPL - it was a full-time league - and with the national team doing so well, it was obviously a league that was going to grow significantly.
"I saw it as a good opportunity to play games and if you do well, there is a market out there to get to a higher level with how much they promote the league on social media. As soon as he called, I wanted to come here."
A bit-part season of adjustment to a new league and a new country in 2021 saw Bassett move to Ottawa and in 2022 he has been one of the reasons why they have shown so much improvement, going from worst to first - a big accomplishment for all involved
He is the team's top goalscorer in the league - including a goal from a corner - along with five assists. He puts a lot of his improvement down to the side's Spanish coach, Carlos Gonzalez (36), brought in by their owner club to galvanise the club.
"I think Ottawa were at a disadvantage for the first two years they were in the league. The first year was when they had the bubble and a mini tournament during Covid and they had to get a team together in weeks to participate in that, and in 2021 they were still dealing with Covid.
"This year they have brought in the players they want and the coach has, well, transformed us really to, in seven months, go from worst to first and potentially end up with double the points that we got last season.
"He's done a fantastic job with us. He wanted to solidify us defensively so we weren't leaking as many goals and defensively we have been very, very solid and that starts from the front of the pitch with the strikers. I think tactically, we are pretty sound.
"He's very happy for us to sit in a medium to low block and soak up pressure because we don't concede too many goals from open play. Defensively we have been so, so good."
The stats back up Bassett's words. Only Forge FC have conceded fewer goals than them all season and they have been tough to beat, losing just five games all year.
The CPL regular season came to an end over the weekend with Ottawa drawing 2-2 against York United before a four-team playoff kicks off on October 15th. The league has only been running for three years, but it is going from strength to strength.
The biggest Canadian teams - Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact - may play in MLS, but the fact that a second Vancouver team will enter the league next season - expanding it to nine teams - shows an ever-growing interest and passion for Canadian football. More teams are expected to join in the coming years too.
Bassett, who has now won his second regular season title in succession, missed their final game before the playoffs through suspension, but will be back in the lineup for their final push.
He has already seen the passion his side's fans have for their team and the game.
Bassett explains: "For a league that is only four years old, the fan culture is growing. The support we get home and away and across the league is great and they are creating a really good atmosphere and a competitive atmosphere.
"We have a supporters group built up of volunteers here in Ottawa and they've really helped grow the sport and the club within the city. Week in, week out, the attendances have been slowly going up. It obviously helps that we are winning but they have been fantastic this year, not only with me, but with the rest of the team. Hopefully we will have them behind us for the last few games of the season."
From the first moves in Madrid, Atletico Ottawa are now the team to beat in Canada's top flight and they will go into the playoffs as the favourites to take the overall title.
While both the league and club continues to build, so will expectations from their owners in Spain, but Bassett and the rest of the team are relishing the opportunity to connect with their parent club.
"We went to Madrid for pre-season for a month and Atleti looked after us and made sure we had everything we needed. With that comes a little bit of pressure from the guys back in Spain wanting us to do well.
"We haven't felt a lot of that, we have focused on ourselves and we have wanted to do well for ourselves. But I think it's cool that we have that sort of backing from people back in Spain and they are super supportive."
The playoffs will see Atletico Ottawa face up against reigning champions Pacific FC, Forge FC and Cavalry and Bassett is wary of the unpredictability of the final few games of the season.
"Anything can happen in the home and away semi-final and then the one-leg final, whether that be a decision made by the officials or from a player. Anything can happen in three games.
"We will go into it the same as we have all season and hopefully that will be enough."
Regardless of the playoffs, 2022 has been an exceptional year for Canada's newest team and their rapid rise could spell a new era in Canadian football.