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Aboriginal tournament still opening doors

When Charlie Ghostkeeper started the United Native Nations youth hockey tournament in the early 1990s, his goal was simple - to give kids, especially those who might not otherwise have the opportunity, a chance to play the game.
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Charlie Ghostkeeper, 2016 P.G. Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

When Charlie Ghostkeeper started the United Native Nations youth hockey tournament in the early 1990s, his goal was simple - to give kids, especially those who might not otherwise have the opportunity, a chance to play the game.

Ghostkeeper's event is now in its 26th year and has come to be known as the Prince George Aboriginal Youth Hockey Championships. Today through Sunday, the championships will fill the ice sheets at the Kin Centre and CN Centre.

Ghostkeeper died in 2012 after a battle with cancer. Chad Ghostkeeper, one of his nephews, has been running the tournament for five years and recognizes the importance of keeping his uncle's vision alive.

"You get a lot of kids, especially the younger ages, that maybe can't afford to play hockey or their parents can't get them there and this is a big reason why we do it," Chad Ghostkeeper said.

"You get a lot of kids, especially from the reserves, that get the chance to play with each other. It's a big weekend for those guys - a lot of kids look forward to this weekend."

The ages of the participants typically range from four to 17. For the first-timers, the tournament can spark a love for hockey. A prime example is Chad Ghostkeeper's own daughter, 11-year-old Laina.

"She had never played hockey - (she) danced all the time - and she tried it last year and now she played hockey full-time this year," he said.

Forty-five teams, mostly from B.C. and some from Alberta, will skate in this year's tournament. The first game, in the tyke division, starts at 9 a.m. at Kin 1 and will see the Burns Lake Moose take on the Nak'azdli Mini Chiefs. Other divisions are novice, atom, peewee, bantam and midget. Championship games in each group will be played on Sunday, with the tyke final getting things going at 11 a.m. at Kin 1. Finals are also set for 11:15 a.m. at Kin 2 (novice), 12:45 p.m. at Kin 2 (atom), 2:15 p.m. at Kin 2 (peewee), 12:30 p.m. at Kin 1 (bantam) and 2 p.m. at Kin 1 (midget).

"You'll see kids that play WHL, you'll see kids first time on skates," Chad Ghostkeeper said.

For founding the United Native Nations hockey tournament, as well as for his contributions in fastball and baseball and making all three sports more accessible to aboriginal youth, Charlie Ghostkeeper was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.