National Aboriginal Hockey Championships to be held in Mi'kmaq community for 1st time

Elite Indigenous hockey players from across Canada are in Membertou, N.S., this weekend for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. 

The event is described as a focal point for grassroots and regional hockey development.

This is the first time the championships have been held in a Mi'kmaq community, said Membertou Chief Terry Paul. "We're very proud of that."

The championships showcase the abilities of the best bantam and midget-aged Indigenous players from across Canada.

Paul said in total, about 600 athletes on 10 male and 10 female teams are taking part, with players from as far away as the Northwest Territories and as close as Eskasoni and Membertou.

The head of the organizing committee, Gerard McPhee, said the level of play will be great to watch. 

"They are the very best aboriginal hockey players that are around. It's expected to be some strong hockey, so I think fans will be impressed." 

McPhee said it took about a year to develop the bid and then organize the event.

"They did a site visit before they awarded the games to us. They were very impressed."

• Membertou's new $19M arena opens

Paul said Membertou's new Sports and Wellness Centre, with its two NHL-sized ice surfaces, helped seal the deal.

But Paul said it's not all about hockey.

Several events are planned to entertain participants, including workshops at the Membertou Heritage Park and a spring powwow. 

"We want to make sure they experience a very, very pleasurable and welcoming experience," said Paul. "We like people to think about it when they're back home and they will remember Cape Breton. This is where we want them to come back to."