Our reporters comb the country for inspiring stories. You're welcome to use them just follow our usage guidelines.

Need a story?

At the CTC, our job is promoting Canada to the world. We are pleased to provide media all copyrights to reproduce the stories and story ideas published here.

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.)

If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author’s byline and “courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission.” If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: “The text has been modified from the original.”

Please contact us if you would like to reproduce one of our media centre stories, and let us know how and where you will use this story. Thank you.

Small fish, big pond: hockey as it was meant to be

Sport puro without the hoopla at NB’s ‘pond hockey’ championship

Pop quiz for hockey heads: start with the energy and excitement of the National Hockey League during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Subtract the mega-stadiums, over-priced seats and souvenir jerseys. Take away the expensive egos-on-skates with a penchant for bad language and blood-letting. Minus the beer commercials and pay-per-view. What does that leave? Pure hockey — the kind they play every February at the World Pond Hockey Championship in the village of Plaster Rock, NB.
 
Launched in 2002 as a fundraiser for a new community arena, the pond hockey championship (called "The Real Game on Real Ice, The Way the Game was Meant to be Played”), now attracts 120 amateur teams and some 8,000 spectators from around the world each year. Emphasizing good sportsmanship and good times, the four-day event is a kissing cousin to the classic Canadian game of “backyard shinny” — only with much better ice, thanks to local volunteers who groom 20 rinks on pine-rimmed Roulston Lake for the duration of the competition.
 
The 2008 championship runs Feb. 7 to 10 and promises to be a nail-biter – at least for the Canucks in the crowd. For the past four years, an American team (gasp!), the Boston Danglers, has gone home with the gold. At this year’s title match, revenge is nigh. Or not. www.worldpondhockey.com www.plasterrock.com

Print
Usage guidelines

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.) If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author's byline and "courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission." If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: "The text has been modified from the original." Thank you.

Tags:
Ontario,Georgian Bay - Background Image