The Rocky Mountain Métis Association is partnering with the Vancouver Canucks to help get Indigenous youth more involved in sports.
The Association is hosting an Indigenous Floor Hockey Jamboree on July 15 at Alliance Church in Cranbrook, with support from the Vancouver Canucks, the Canucks For Kids Fund, and the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council
First Nations and Métis youth, and their friends, are invited to attend the free event with complimentary lunch, and meet former Canucks goalie Kirk McLean and Canucks mascot Fin. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Attendees will be divided into groups of four to six, and there will be two arenas so multiple games can run at the same time.
"It's not just about being Indigenous. A big part of it is bringing the community together and enjoying hockey and the sport we love in Cranbrook," said organizer Caelen Cross.
"I think a lot of kids like floor hockey, especially with how expensive ice time is in the summer and playing hockey in general ... You go play hockey to get outside, get moving, try something you haven't tried and try to get out of your room," he added.
Cross said the event aims to promote physical fitness among youth, and foster teamwork and mentorship. It gives youth a chance to play on a team alongside other Indigenous athletes.
"As a Métis person playing for the Indigenous Sport Academy this year, the coolest thing was to play on a team with a whole bunch of Indigenous kids. That was really special to me," he said.
Cross has been involved with hockey and lacrosse for many years, and he played at the North American Indigenous Games in 2023. He discovered the Canucks For Kids Program at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, and was pleased when Cranbrook was one of five communities in B.C to be selected to run the Jamboree.
The Canucks for Kids Fund aims to make hockey more accessible by creating opportunities for youth to play and connect. It will be providing 40 floor hockey sticks with the Canucks logo at the Jamboree. One bag will be kept by the Association for future events, but the other two will be donated to T.M Roberts Elementary School in Cranbrook.
After the Jamboree, the Association will host six weeks of drop-in ball hockey at Alliance Church. Games run July 22 and 28 and August 5,12,16 and 19 from 11 a.m. to noon. The program is open to all Indigenous youth and their friends age five to 17.
For more information, please call Rocky Mountain Métis Association at 250-489-8960.
Registration for the Jamboree is first-come, first-serve. Sign up here.
