This weekend the CMCC will see the influx of players and families from twenty seven U11 and U13 League and Rep B division teams from across central and eastern Ontario with the return of their Fall Classic Hockey Tournament. Tournament hosts are expecting to draw roughly 1,500 players, coaches and families to watch the action which will take place at the CMCC and Bewdley arenas. Players ages nine through twelve come with a range of experience, bringing as many as five years of hockey experience to some who are brand new to the sport.
The event is made possible by the efforts of team coaches, managers, players and families, the MDMHA Board, and a large crew of local youth helping to provide referee and timekeeping help. The hosts have also been supported by community sponsorship from businesses including Foodland, Bremkin Home Improvements, Home Hardware, Van de Bor Paving, Millbrook Village Dental and Meredith Kennedy’s Royal Service Real Estate.
Organizers are thinking beyond hockey, working to focus on the community at large. They are creating a Hockey Hub at the CMCC, featuring local vendors, fundraising activities, merchandise and a gathering space. Appreciating that the tournament falls just before Remembrance Day and will be running on November 8th which is Indigenous Veterans Day, they have developed a community theme called “Remember Together.”
Working with the Millbrook Legion and other community members, organizers have created a feature poster which explores the longstanding connections between
hockey, military service and remembrance, including Indigenous Veterans and
Indigenous contributions to hockey. They are also inviting local veterans, currently
serving members and families to share their own hockey connections and stories and, where possible, be part of the tournament weekend.
Take the opportunity this weekend to drop into the CMCC on Friday or Saturday to support Millbrook hockey, local vendors, and offer an early acknowledgement of the sacrifices of veterans past and present to preserve and protect the freedoms we enjoy today.
See p8 and 11 for the tournament organizers’ poster highlighting the connections between military service our (unofficial) national sport.