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The Alberta city of Grande Prairie has been awarded hosting rights for the 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC).
It will be the first time in the 21-year history of the NAHC that the event will be staged in the province.
The tourney will run May 5 to May 11, 2024 at the Design Works Centre, the home rink of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Grande Prairie Storm.
Shannon Dunfield, the president of the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta, the governing body for Indigenous athletics in the province, is thrilled Grande Prairie will host next year’s NAHC.
“They just recently passed their Indigenous Relations Framework where one of the key commitments is to host Indigenous sporting events,” Dunfield said of Grande Prairie.
Jackie Clayton, Grande Prairie’s mayor, is also excited her city will host the national tournament, which annually features Indigenous female and male players, primarily ages 13 to 17, representing their provinces, territories or regions.
“It is an honour to be selected as the host city for this elite hockey event that showcases Indigenous youth from across Canada," Clayton said. "We look forward to sharing our vibrant community, world-class recreational facilities and inclusive culture during this large-scale event.”
This year’s tournament, which was held in Winnipeg, concluded May 13. Ontario won the female division while Manitoba captured the male category.