When Burnaby plays host to the Canadian ringette championships in April of next year, it will be one of the most ambitious nationals ever.
For the first time in the sport's almost 50 years, the annual national championships will include 48 teams in the under-16, u-19 and National Ringette League divisions.
On Tuesday, Ringette Canada held a lottery in the Bill Copeland Sports Centre that awarded six more spots in both u-16 and u-19, bringing to 48 the number of teams that will vie for a championship title this season.
"We're growing enough to know that we can stick with some things - the two lines are not negotiable - but the format is not our heart and soul, if we get it right. But we can afford to be innovative," said Ringette Canada executive director David Patterson.
Following the lottery, Ontario will be able to send 10 teams, including six in the u-19 group.
Quebec will have nine teams at the nationals, while Alberta will get a total of seven.
As host, B.C. was awarded spots for two teams in both age groups.
As well, eight teams from the NRL league, which includes the Lower Mainland Thunder, will be determined following league play.
It will all add up to a boon for the City of Burnaby, said Burnaby/ New Westminster association president and committe member Stan Jung.
"This is going to be absolutely huge from our assessment," said Jung. "The beauty of it is we're hoping to tie in the tourism aspect. The city is involved, and we anticipate it will bring in tourist dollars."
With several highprofile sponsors on board and an anticipated economic impact of more than $2 million, interest in the championships is high.
Tourism Burnaby expects approximately 2,500 visitors, including 1,000 athletes, to the championships, which run from April 8 to 14.
With the anticipated gain from hosting the week-long event, Jung hopes to build in a legacy from the tournament that will benefit the region as as a whole. One of the charities approached has been KidSport.
"The important thing about the legacy thing is this is supposed to be grassroots and to benefit the sport as a whole across the whole Lower Mainland and not just Burnaby," Jung said.
B.C. Ringette has already launched a gym program that will take the Canadian-made game indoors and off the ice.
Jung would like to see a kickoff of that program involve some of the schools in the southeast area of Burnaby as well as Vancouver inner-city schools.
"Having grown up in Strathcona (in Vancouver), I see the need outside the City of Burnaby, but I also understand there are areas within the city that could be well served by the program as well," Jung said.
As the host committee chair, Randy Wall has plans for the nationals that will involve bringing on board Burnaby elementary schools through ringette demonstrations and followup field trips to actual games at the championships.
Volunteer opportunities for both English and French immersion students are in the cards for local high school students.
Wall anticipates that the association will need approximately 300 volunteers. Interested individuals are requested to go to the association website at www.bnwr.ca and click on Canadian ringette championships 2012.
There are also plans for younger girls to act as hostesses for visiting teams, which has proved successful at other venues.
"By the end of it, they really become attached to that team," Wall said. "It's a great way to motivate them and keep them active."
