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Canadian Pond Hockey Outreach Program
Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off Introduction
Photo courtesy of Ed Regan Photography
The 1st annual Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off was a huge success last year. The event involved 23 teams with players aged 5 to 55 taking part. This year the event which takes place on the Education Centre Pond behind Canadore College will hit the ice on the last weekend of February 23rd, 24th, and 25th.
The weather cooperated (despite record snowfall in February) and we had an exciting weekend of hockey for all ages and the best part about it was that it was all for fun and it got us all playing hockey the way the incredible game first began and some even experienced skating on natural ice for the first time.
The Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off also created an outreach program for five Gulf Coast teens who lost their homes after Hurricane Katrina crippled their region in August of 2005. With great assistance from local sponsors the kids had an all-expense paid trip to play pond hockey. The teens said afterwards that it was a trip of a lifetime and the Gulf Coast is expected to be represented by a pair of teams in the 2007 event.
That story helped the tournament receive national and international media recognition (CTV National, CTV Newsnet, Weather Network, The Hockey News and ABC News New Orleans).
Overall, thanks to the support from local sponsors and teams who participated last year, our committee was able to raise $4,000.00 that has gone into a City Outdoor Rink Development fund that will assist in upgrading and maintenance for neighbourhood rinks in our community.
The Pond
Where is the tournament held?
The Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off is held at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario on the Education Centre's pond.
Canadore College is situated on 720 acres of forested area overlooking the city and provides a stunning backdrop to the event. The natural beauty of the college campus and pond offers the perfect setting for this exciting outdoor tournament.
North Bay is a friendly city of 55,000 people located 345 km north of Toronto and 365 km west of Ottawa, the nation’s capital city. You’ll soon feel at home here. We’re big enough to offer a variety of sporting, entertainment and cultural events, yet small enough that people still take the time to stop and talk. You can rollerblade on the Kate PaceWay, take a cruise on the Chief Commanda, enjoy the waterfront or take in a concert at the Arts Centre. We have four distinct seasons, with different activities suited to each.
North Bay is accessible by car, plane, train or bus. Planes fly into the city at least twice a day from Toronto and Ottawa; trains and buses also have regular schedules each day. In the City, there is a full service municipal bus system that runs every 30 minutes or hour, depending on the location
