Cochrane and area is hosting one of the largest First Nations hockey tournaments in the province later this month.
The Alberta Treaty Hockey Championships run March 27-31 in Cochrane, Cremona, Tsuu T’ina and at the Crowfoot rink in northwest Calgary.
Hundreds of First Nations male and female players aged 5-17 will take part.
“We have 103 teams coming,” said tournament organizer Marty Wildman of the event featuring 15 First Nations communities from across Alberta. “The kids are going to play again this year and everybody’s been looking forward to it.”
Particularly, Wildman.
“Since I’m from Morley, I’ve been bragging Cochrane up quite a bit as far what’s to be expected and what Cochrane has to offer,” he said. “Everybody’s excited about coming to Cochrane.”
You can include Cochrane Minor Hockey president Howie Kroon in that group. He’s been working closely with Wildman and the Stoney Nakoda Nation to secure the tournament.
“Marty and I have a good relationship,” Kroon said of Wildman, who played some high-level hockey back in his teens. “It’s a great opportunity.
“A huge economic spinoff to the town. I think it’s a great thing.”
Beyond that, Kroon said hockey provides a common bond that can build bridges between distant cultures and communities.
“Lots of people love hockey,” Kroon observed. “Different types of communities, different people.
“This actually might be a bit of a showcase where two communities can work together. There are some real positives with that.”
It’s a vision shared by Wildman.
“We got together and said we want to do this. He (Kroon) asked: ‘How can we do this?’ It’s a lot about building relationships. With all the negative stuff in the media these days, we thought this would be a great thing to show Alberta, Canada, the world that two nations can get together for the sake of kids. And work together and build that relationship and build that trust. Just the whole issue around that.”
There’s also a game or two to be played in the process.
“We have a lot of fun during this tournament,” said Wildman, who is president of the Alberta Treaty Hockey Association. “There are people who are really pumped about this tournament.”
