Council says CBS ready to host more national tournaments

By Craig Westcott

If CBS councillors get their way, the town will be more than happy to host another national tournament for Canada’s elite amateur female hockey players.

CBS and the City of Mount Pearl teamed up last month to host the Women’s Under18 National Championship and by all accounts it was a big success.

And that would be an understatement, said councillor-at-large Christine Butler. “It was unbelievable. The staff, the volunteers, the teams, the fans, the venues – the Glacier and our arena, it was all just A-plus,” she said. “It was wonderful to watch the games and the see the excitement in all the young women. I just want to say thanks to everybody. It was really enjoyable.”

Ward 4 councillor Melissa Hardy, who is herself a hockey mom of a young female goalie, was equally impressed. Hardy pointed out that Team Atlantic, which contained three players from this province, came just short of upsetting Team Quebec in the final.

“It was an excellent game, the fans were into it, I think we blocked the stadium, which was the first time the national tournament ever sold-out tickets at one of their events,” said Hardy. “It just goes to show what’s happening in female hockey and that the Town of Conception Bay South and all the surrounding communities are looking forward to. It was also history in the making for Team Atlantic team getting the silver medal.”

Ward 1 councillor Shelley Moores said the experience was phenomenal. 

“I watched two or three games in Mount Pearl and two or three games in CBS and the crowds that came out to watch and the level of female hockey was better than I ever anticipated,” Moores said. “I loved the hockey, I loved the fans, I loved how rough it was, I just loved it. And for the first time ever, Ontario didn’t have a team in the championship game and that says a lot for the development of hockey all across Canada. The fact Team Atlantic got a silver medal is something to be very proud of.”

Moores said the Town’s recreation staff deserve plaudits for making everything run so smoothly. 
“A number of people said to me, ‘This is the best rink on the island,’ and I said, ‘Yes, we know,’” Moores said. “We know it is, it’s phenomenal and it’s all because of the great staff that we have.”

Councillor-at-large Warrick Cluney also offered a “shout out” to the players and the team’s sponsors. 
“We had a great turnout,” he said. “And it was an honour for us to join Mount Pearl in hosting the games.”
Councillor-at-large Joshua Barrett agreed the turnout was “incredible,” and the hockey itself was great, but he argued the event’s success wasn’t by accident.

“This tournament is really an accumulation of all the work that we’ve been doing the past couple of years, that staff have been doing, to really position our facilities for success at the national and even the international stage,” Barrett said. “And over the past couple of years we’ve gotten a few of these key tenants providing professional entertainment opportunities for our residents. And there are other things, more private events and functions that certain sectors host, but this has been a very public facing event that I know we’ve all been proud of, and I think it is the first of many and it is super exciting for us as a Town, because obviously it increases our revenue, but it also provides a lot of opportunities for our residents. I think we’re all very proud of what we accomplished up there and I know the feedback from Hockey Canada has been incredible and hopefully we’ll see that up at the rink again in the next few years.”

Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley, who chaired the council meeting in the absence of Mayor Darrin Bent and Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse, who were representing CBS at the Municipalities NL convention in Corner Brook, agreed with Barrett.

“Hockey Canada got a good look at what the town has to offer,” said Tilley. “And I’ll certainly go on the public record to say we’re ready to host another event whether it be next year, or 2027, 2028. We have the facilities, we have the staff, we have the professional development available to stage an even better tournament in the near future. So, Hockey Canada, if you’re looking at this meeting tonight, which I know you’re not, we’ll be ready if anything ever comes down the pipe.”