Diana Fox Carney to Visit CBU to Celebrate the Grand Opening of the Kehoe Forum and the Home of Women’s Hockey in Canada

Cape Breton University is proud to announce that Madame Diana Fox Carney, British-Canadian economist, former university hockey player and spouse of Prime Minister Mark Carney, will visit the campus on Tuesday, January 6, at 5:00 pm, to celebrate the Grand Opening of the renovated Kehoe Forum. This arena is the first in Canada dedicated to women’s, girls’ and para hockey. Her participation marks a national milestone in the advancement of gender equity, accessibility and opportunity in the sport of hockey.

 

“Cape Breton University is honoured to welcome Mme Fox Carney for this historic celebration,” says David C. Dingwall, President and Vice-Chancellor. “The re-opening of the Kehoe Forum represents far more than the modernization of an arena. It shows CBU’s national commitment to equity, opportunity and the next generation of women leaders in sport.”

 

Originally built for the 1987 Jeux Canada Games, the facility has undergone a transformative $40-million redevelopment and has been renamed the Kehoe Forum in honour of long-time community champions Jim and the late Roma Kehoe. The renewed facility is also fully accessible, supporting para and sledge hockey and serves as a community hub that includes the Nancy Dingwall Health & Counselling Centre, a modern fitness facility and multi-use event spaces.

 

A former university hockey player and mother of four adult children, Mme Fox Carney understands the challenges when it comes to ice-time equality and the ambitions of young female athletes, making her an especially meaningful guest of honour to celebrate the Grand Opening of this important community arena.

 

The Grand Opening of the Kehoe Forum will coincide with the IIHF U-18 Women’s World Hockey Championship being hosted in Sydney and Membertou. CBU’s celebration will feature a pre-tournament exhibition game between Team Switzerland and Team Sweden at 5:00pm (AST) at the Kehoe Forum at CBU.

 

“We are excited to welcome Diana Fox Carney to our home arena, the Kehoe Forum,” says Christina Lamey, President of the Cape Breton Blizzard Female Hockey Association. “She has first-hand experience of the challenges that have faced women’s hockey in the past and now she champions a brighter future for the sport. Her dedication to advancing the growth and progress of women’s hockey helps more girls enjoy Canada’s game and build a lifelong connection to it.”

 

Further details on the pre-tournament game and how the community can request tickets will be released in the coming days.
 

About the Kehoe Forum

The Kehoe Forum at Cape Breton University is named in honour of Jim and the late Roma Kehoe and is a vibrant hub of activity for both the campus community and the greater Cape Breton community. The fully renovated facility includes the Nancy Dingwall Health and Counseling Centre, a modern fitness facility, a walking track, and is fully accessible to accommodate sledge hockey. This arena is also the Home of Women’s Hockey, the first of its kind in Canada. The Forum is dedicated to providing young girls and women access to priority ice times and addressing decades-long issues of gender and accessibility inequality in hockey. Its main tenants are the CAPERS Uniiversity Women’s hockey team, Cape Breton Blizzard Female Hockey Association, the Cape Breton Sledge Hammers and recreational programming. This arena also serves as a multi-use event and conference space.