The World Girls Ice Hockey Day was hosted in Ste. Anne over the weekend and many local players, coaches and volunteers shared in the experience.

Recreation Services Manager Sarah Normandeau explains why it was so important for the area to host this event. "It's a grant from Hockey Canada and Hockey Manitoba. We wanted it here because we have a lot to offer when it comes to female hockey and representatives. The Female Bantam Selects AAA team is here and endlessly giving their time. They're running all the on ice sessions."

Normandeau also coaches a team and says that she was very surprised when it came to registration numbers. "When we opened it up, I wasn't sure what we were going to get. We got 65 girls registered from all over Eastman. Every association from Eastman is being represented here and we even had girls from Winnipeg show up. Every ice session has over 20 girls involved and it's really nice for them to meet like minded female athletes and friends that way. I have a daughter who's participating in the Pee Wee development and she's looking at the Eastman AAA girls and thinking she can make that team one day, it's really awesome."

Neal Stoesz is the President of Ste. Anne minor hockey and talks about Ste. Anne really wanting to grow the women's game. "We've been working hard to get more female hockey here in Ste. Anne. We've had some very talented female hockey players come out of our town. Eastman moved the Bantam girls team to Ste. Anne from Garson plus we have the Midget Female AAA team. They can progress and work together. The bantam girls can look up to the midget girls and so on."

Stoesz is excited by the growth but admits there are challenges that comes with it. "We don't have enough dressing rooms. Every arena is running into this issue, trying to accommodate the female and male players that play on the same team. Other than that, it's all very positive. Here in Ste. Anne, we have 10-12 girls playing just in our Atom division. It's all very positive."

"It's crazy, I feel like I'm back in Bantam getting ready with the boys" says Bailey Bram from inside one of the locker rooms at the arena. The Olympic Silver Medalist was the keynote speaker and was quick to point out that the game has come a very long way. "There's no boys here, this all girl event is so cool, it's so special to see this. We have all girls team now and I think it's the coolest. When I was growing up there were only a few of us and it seemed like there was only one or two girls on each boys teams. To have whole teams, it's really special."

Bram is hopeful for the future of the game and says in the years to come, she hopes it continues to grow. "I'd like to see where they don't have to play with boys teams. Be just as competitive with an all girl team. When I was growing up, we didn't have that. Now, I see it's coming full circle and to see an all girl league that's just as good, where they can grow and develop as players is pretty cool."