“Ste. Anne is a true hockey community that has a strong passion for the game. From Minor Hockey to adult & youth rec leagues, hockey is a beloved pastime for many residents and the community has a long-standing tradition of supporting the sport. This can be witnessed every weekend when you see grandparents gather along the boards to come watch their grandchildren play the sport that they too once played and don the name “Aces”. Our minor hockey association has hit an all time high in registrations this year and has no signs of slowing down! This summer Ste Anne suddenly lost an irreplaceable part of our hockey community in that of our long time Minor Hockey president. The loss felt was enormous throughout the community and and a charity was formed in his honour to help kids play who otherwise could not, kiddo 35. The Minor hockey players and adults alike wear a 35 sticker on their helmets in honour, they also wore jerseys to his funeral as they know, that’s what coach Neil would want.

The Maurice Chaput Arena was named after Maurice Chaput, a member in the community who dedicated his life to hockey within the community. My family like many others in Ste Anne, have multiple (3) children in minor hockey, we are there 7 days a week, it’s our “winter home”. And I say home because it truly feels like home. Parents chitchat at the tables and watch their child practice, while siblings run and play together while at the rink. There is no shortage of laughs and stories being shared about the last tournament or a classic episode of “who forgot what piece of equipment today”. And someone always coming through with a spare, because “we all live at the rink”. I remember as a child, my dad played Rec hockey Sunday evenings. My sister, my cousin and I would always go watch. We would see how many times we could run around the ice surface in the fastest time. Some of my fondest memories are at the arena and it only seems natural that my kids share those experiences as well.