The world’s best sledge hockey players are returning to Lunenburg County.
Bridgewater has been selected to host the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup from December 6-12, 2020.
The event, which was re-branded from the World Sledge Hockey Challenge in 2018, will mark the second time the world’s top para teams will gather in Bridgewater after previously hosting it in 2016.
Director with Hockey Canada, Goops Wooldridge, says the area has a proven track record of hosting big events.
“The community went out of their way to accomodate everybody in the last go around that we were here,” says Wooldridge.
“Our athletes, our coaches all still talk about how they were treated here, and that makes it a lot easier to come back.”
Over 100 volunteers were also involved in making the 2016 event successful.
Wooldridge says they haven’t confirmed yet what teams will be participating.
The Nova Scotia government is contributing $20,000 towards the event.
Officials say the economic impact of hosting the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup is estimated at more than $1-million.
The 2016 event attracted more than 10,000 fans over seven days.
Mayor of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, says it could be even better the second time around.
“It took a while for fans to realize the calibre and what the sport actually was and by mid-week it was hard to get a ticket to the event,” says Bolivar-Getson.
“I anticipate this time that’s going to start right from the beginning.”
This will be the third Hockey Canada event Bridgewater has hosted including the Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, in 2018.
Reported by: Nick Yorston
Twitter: @NickYorston
E-mail: yorston.nick@radioabl.ca
