Bright future for local sports 

Kahnawake is getting ready to build a covered outdoor rink, envisioned as a world-class facility that will significantly boost the community’s sporting capacity, the community learned this week.

“There are not enough hours in a day to get everybody in our arena, so a second surface is much needed,” said Kirby Joe Diabo, vice-president of the Kahnawake Mohawks Minor Lacrosse Assocation (KMMLA) and a driving force behind the new rink.

The association is growing, with 60 more players than last year, he noted, making scheduling even tougher.

Inspired by Fall Ball rainouts, Diabo first imagined the project years ago, but the funding and organizational support is finally in place to see it come to fruition. “I’ve been waiting patiently for this for a long time and so has the community, so I’m glad it’s finally here,” Diabo said.

The new facility was announced at an event Monday on the grounds of the Kahnawake Sports Complex, where the new surface will be built.

“It’s a great achievement moving forward, investing in infrastructure that our community and our children are going to utilize,” said MCK chief Iohahi:io Delisle, who was on hand as one of the Council members involved in advancing the project last term.

“Addressing the underrepresentation of First Nations youth in sports is critical, and it’s definitely a national issue. By developing infrastructure like this, I feel we’ll address that.”

The full-size rink will be built to Ontario Lacrosse Association and Hockey Quebec standards, with the infrastructure in place to host lacrosse, hockey, figure skating, and community events year-round.

“The amount of work that’s going into this project is to ensure that we have a system that will maintain ice at above-freezing temperatures,” said Roiahtate Horn, director of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Sports and Recreation Unit. Facilitaties without refrigeration, like the existing town rink, are usable for fewer than half the days of freezing each winter, he said.

Preparing and maintaining ice in winter months has been an increasing challenge for MCK staff, especially with climate change bringing warmer temperatures.

The rink is being built in two phases, and while the slab being put in as part of phase one will be built to accept refrigeration, the compressors and other necessary equipment will be installed as part of phase two.

Phase one is expected to cost $1.2 million, according to Horn, and will include the concrete rink, boards, and safety nets. Construction is slated to begin in September, with the first phase expected to be operational by March of next year.

The second phase will include the roof structure; a budget is still being worked out for that, but it is expected to cost $3-4 million, if not more, Horn said. The team is aiming to complete phase two by the end of March 2027.

“I’m excited that we finally got to this day to announce it,” said Horn of the project. “It’s a big step, but now we have a lot more work ahead of us, so we’re excited to hit that straight on.”

Local lacrosse player Arahkwaieshon Paul, 14, attended Monday’s event to show support for the new facility.

“It’s special because I know people wanted a rink with a roof since I was born, so it’s good to finally get one,” said Paul.

The young athlete took part in a tree-planting ceremony on the Sports Complex grounds after the announcement; the new rink, which will be built north of the arena, will necessitate the cutting of around 110 trees.

According to the MCK, most of these are dead or dying ash trees due to the incursion of the emerald ash borer, an invasive species. At least one tree will be planted for every tree cut, the MCK has promised, and only the trees in the way of the new rink’s footprint will be removed.

The project is being funded by the MCK, Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services (KSCS), and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

The KSCS portion comes from money for long-term reform relating to a settlement agreement between First Nations and the federal government after a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal finding of systemic discrimination in on-reserve child welfare funding.

The new rink will help promote the growth of youth sports in Kahnawake, leading to greater numbers of children reaping the benefits, said Davis Montour, director of Family Services Operations at KSCS.

“Sports and recreation has always been at the core of wellness in Kahnawake,” said Montour, who grew up playing minor hockey in town.

“This partnership and the results we’re going to see come from it are a huge step forward in terms of progressing our community wellness plan for the benefit of the generations to come.”

To Diabo, getting community youth into sports means providing them with meaningful opportunities, whether that be travel, education, or other possibilities. But he believes promoting lacrosse also means supporting a sense of identity in young Kahnawa’kehró:non. “It’s in our blood. It’s who we are,” he said.

“Everybody has it in them, all we have to do is find it.”

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This article was originally published in print on July 26, 2024, in issue 33.30 of The Eastern Door.