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City to bid on hosting hockey championship

The City of Campbell River intends to submit a bid to host the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships

The city intends to submit a bid to host the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

In partnership with the Strathcona Regional District, the city is vying to bring the event to Campbell River in 2017.

Mayor Andy Adams, in his role as chair of the Strathcona Gardens Commission, wrote in a letter to the host selection committee that Strathcona Gardens has had extensive experience hosting hockey tournaments over the years, including the Men’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

“Members of the Strathcona Gardens Commission agree that the Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex is an ideal facility for the 2017 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, and the community is well-positioned to host Aboriginal hockey players from across the country to showcase their talents,” Adams wrote.

The event was founded by the Aboriginal Sport Circle and is sanctioned by Hockey Canada. It showcases elite Bantam and Midget aged aboriginal hockey players from across the nation, while fostering cultural unity and pride.

The Aboriginal Hockey Championships has been in existence since 2001 and is open to both male and female players.

City council, at its May 11 meeting, supported submitting a bid package to host the event.

Chief Robert Pollard of the Campbell River Indian Band said the band fully supports the city’s proposal.

“We believe that events such as this can motivate and energize host communities and serve as a source of pride for all residents, aboriginal and non-aboriginal,” Pollard wrote in a letter to city council.

“In addition, we see this tournament as an opportunity to showcase Campbell River as a dynamic, progressive and healthy and inclusive community.”

The National Aboriginal Hockey Championships were held this year in Halifax, Nova Scotia from April 27 to May 2.