The Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships is cancelled for 2022. The multi-day outdoor hockey tournament was hoping to return to action after a two-year pause caused by the pandemic. This year it was scheduled to be held over the Jan. 28/29 weekend and the Feb. 4/5 weekend on the 14-acre pond in front of the Pinestone Resort and Conference Centre in Haliburton.

However the province’s decision to return to the modified version of Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen on Jan. 5 has ended any hope for an event that was expecting 100 teams and several hundred players.

It’s left business people and event operators such as John Teljeur, who runs the hockey tournament disappointed.

“We are sad and disappointed to officially cancel the 2022 Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships. We looked at various options and held on as long as we could hoping things would stabilize but the current COVID restrictions would make it nearly impossible to safely, responsibly and effectively run the event at Pinestone as we have in the past. We will be in contact with all registered teams regarding registration fee options and room reservations as soon as we can. Pinestone is already working on cancelling booked rooms for the event. To all of our players, volunteers and supporters, keep the faith and stay safe – we will be back.”

The Roadmap to Reopen, which has included a move to online learning for students, a reduction of indoor gatherings to five people and outdoor gatherings to 10 people, closing indoor dining at restaurants, requiring businesses and organizations to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be onsite, and limiting capacity at indoor weddings, funerals and religious services, is expected to last 21 days (until Jan.26). It is subject to change depending on trends in public health and health system indicators.

Staff