A better reason to gather

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As far as Keith Louis is concerned there had to be some better reasons for Natives to get together more often.

"Normally the only time we see other, and I hate to say this but it's true, is at funerals," Louis said.

In order to help change that, Louis is helping to organize a men's hockey tournament in Vernon.

The event is scheduled to run April 1 to 3 and is being dubbed the All-Native Nk'maplqs Hockey Challenge Cup. Organizers are hoping to attract 16 teams to the tournament.

"This gives us another avenue to meet," said Louis, who is the president of the tournament committee. "And it will give any minor hockey players out there something to push for."

Louis believes it's been at least 30 years since an all-Native hockey tournament has been held in Vernon.

"I'm not sure why," he said. "But I think it was because of a lack of ice time."

All tournament players must be at least 16 years old. The event, for recreational teams, is non-contact.

"The reason we went to non-contact is because we felt if we didn't we might have a problem getting 16 teams," Louis said. "There's not a lot of (men's recreational) teams playing contact anymore."

Louis expects the majority, if not all of the participating squads, to be from British Columbia this year.

But there is a chance some out-of-province clubs, possibly from Alberta, will take part.

Each squad is required to pay a $700 registration fee. Entrants, however, will then have the opportunity to take home a portion of the $6,000 in cash up for grabs.

The winning team will receive $3,000. The second-place finishers will be awarded $2,000. And the club that places third will earn $1,000.

Each squad is guaranteed to play three games.

Organizers are hoping the majority of the games will be held at the Vernon Multiplex. But the number of tournament matches there will depend on whether the Vernon Vipers, a Junior A squad in the British Columbia Hockey League, are still participating in their league playoffs.

Some tournament contests will also be held at the Vernon Civic Arena and the Priest Valley Arena, also located in Vernon.

Keith Louis said organizers are hoping this tournament becomes an annual event. And if it does, there's a chance other groupings-perhaps an old-timers division or a contact category-will be added.

"There's seven different arenas in the area they could offer us if we have a need for them down the line," Louis added.

Tournament organizers are running this year's event in conjunction with Recreation Excellence, the firm that runs the Vernon Multiplex.