In a historic moment for Canadian sports and gender equity, Cape Breton University (CBU) has officially opened the doors to the Kehoe Forum. The January 6 grand opening marks a transformative milestone, one that captured international attention, as the facility became the first arena in Canada dedicated to women’s hockey.

The arena, built for the 1987 Canada Games and formerly known as the Canada Games Complex, was famously crowned the 2022 Kraft Hockeyville Champion and has undergone a $ 40 million redevelopment to serve as not only the permanent "Home of Women’s Hockey in Canada," but also a home for local womens’, para and sledge-hockey athletes.

From the up-and-coming youth talent in the Cape Breton Blizzard Female Hockey Association, to the ground-breaking Cape Breton Sledgehammers sledge-hockey team who call the fully-accessible Kehoe Forum home, to the student-athletes on CBU’s very own CAPERS Women' s hockey team; the Kehoe Forum is a monument to Cape Breton’s long and storied history of hockey.

The CBU CAPERS Women’s hockey roster is powered by a deep and enduring connection to local hockey, with many players hailing from across Cape Breton representing their communities with pride, especially noticeable in a cohort of players proud to represent their home, Eskasoni First Nation, a community whose passion for hockey is legendary.

For Nursing student Amira Paul and her linemate, Mi’kmaq Studies student Jeneva Marshall, the Kehoe Forum represents a massive shift from the rinks of their youth. Growing up, both players found their love for the game at the Dan K. Stevens Memorial Arena in Eskasoni.

“Growing up, girls' ice time was something I always looked forward to every week,” says Paul. “Most of the time, I was either scrimmaging with the older girls or just skating around, shooting pucks. To this day, I still go to those girls' ice times; they're still something I look forward to.”

For Marshall, the transition from late-night community skates to the elite environment of the Kehoe Forum hasn't changed her sense of identity on the ice.

“Even though I'm not playing for an Eskasoni team now, when I suit up for the Capers, I still feel like I'm representing Eskasoni,” she says. “I think for lots of people in Eskasoni, hockey is their life. They feel a lot of passion for it.”

The atmosphere at the grand opening was filled with triumph, pride and a sense of ambition that said ‘This is only the beginning.’ Joining CBU President David Dingwall and a crowd of athletes, community leaders and fans was Mme Diana Fox Carney, wife of Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former Oxford University hockey player and a dedicated advocate for the sport. Mme Fox Carney’s presence underscored the weight of the occasion as she donned her skates and joined members of the Capers for a scrimmage on the ice.

Fox Carney shared her own experiences playing hockey in the UK, where women were often relegated to "leftover" ice times, practicing between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM.

“We never imagined that we could get mainstream practice times,” Mme Fox Carney said. “It’s great the way that CBU has championed the rights of female athletes. The Kehoe Forum is fantastic in terms of prioritizing women and making the point that women’s hockey is just as important as men’s.”

The timing of the opening could not be more significant. CBU has moved immediately into a leadership role on the world women’s hockey stage through a major partnership with the Host Organizing Committee for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) U-18 Women’s World Hockey Championships. The tournament, which took place from January 10 to 18 in Sydney and Membertou, represents the pinnacle of international women’s hockey and the Kehoe Forum played an important role in its success.

As part of this partnership, the Kehoe Forum has hosted international teams for pre-competition activities, including high-intensity practices and a pre-tournament exhibition game between Team Sweden and Team Switzerland. This gave the campus and local community a front-row seat to the speed and skill of the global game. By hosting these top-ranked international players, the Kehoe Forum has demonstrated that its design and facilities meet the high standards set by the IIHF.

“As the home of women's hockey in Canada, CBU is committed to supporting these incredible athletes and ensuring they experience the very best of Cape Breton Island's hospitality,” said President Dingwall.

This kind of representation on the ice can be a powerful motivator for the next generation of athletes. Both Paul and Marshall recall times in their youth when being the only female or Mi’kmaw player on a team was a common occurrence. Now, they are the faces of a program that celebrates their heritage. Paul recalls a young girl from Eskasoni approaching her after a home game to share how much she enjoyed watching them play.

“In the end, I just hope we are becoming good role models for the younger girls,” Paul says.

The sentiment is echoed by Assistant Coach Levia Denny, who also hails from Eskasoni. Denny, who won the Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) championship as a Caper player in 2019-20, now helps guide Paul and Marshall from the bench. She sees the Kehoe Forum as a place where the barriers to equality are finally falling.

“It makes me feel proud,” Denny says. “Representation really matters. For them to be playing and having Indigenous girls look up to them, they can think, 'That could be me one day.'”

As CBU looks forward to hosting the ACHA championship from March 6 to 8, the Kehoe Forum stands as a bridge between a proud history and an ambitious future and as a place where the world comes to play, where the community comes to celebrate and where young girls from across Mi'kma'ki can see a clear path to academic and athletic success.

This story was written by Mitchell Ferguson, Communications & Brand Specialist