​The City of Grande Prairie recently put in a bid to host the 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, an annual tournament that welcomes Indigenous hockey players from coast to coast.

The city has hosted big tournaments and cultural events like the Canada Winter Games, Alberta Summer Games, and the Arctic Winter Games in the past, so Jackie Clayton, mayor of Grande Prairie, says that the city is a prime place for the championships to take place.

Grande Prairie is known to be a "game city," according to Clayton, which is why the Aboriginal Sports Circle encouraged the city to throw their names in the hat to host the 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

She says hosting the championship would offer a great opportunity for people to "explore" Grande Prairie and give hockey players a chance to "get integrated into the community."

Hosting a tournament like this will impact Grande Prairie from a cultural standpoint as well, Clayton says. Grande Prairie City Council made submitting a bid for the tournament a priority, the mayor added, to recognize and further truth and reconciliation efforts. 

"We hope we're successful to host these great athletes, to share some of our culture. But also to be part of that reconciliation process," Clayton says.

​​Listen to the full CFWE Interview below with Mayor Jackie Clayton: