Skip to main content

Cape Breton’s Coal Bowl Classic the hottest ticket in town

The gym at Breton Education Centre in New Waterford, N.S., was empty on Sunday, but soon it will be filled with basketball players and fans. The gym at Breton Education Centre in New Waterford, N.S., was empty on Sunday, but soon it will be filled with basketball players and fans.
Share

The gym at Breton Education Centre in New Waterford, N.S., was empty on Sunday, but soon it will be filled with basketball players and fans.

“I joke, ‘That day, we were more popular than Taylor Swift because we were sold out in about 8 minutes.’ It was pretty awesome,” said Aimee Romard, co-chair of the Coal Bowl Classic.

The six-day basketball tournament is returning for the first time in two years. It features teams from the local area, mainland Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario.

Players were checking in on Sunday and anticipating an event they've heard so much about.

“We've already seen some of the culture. It's going to be exciting to learn more, and then the games will be competitive with lots of fans,” said Owen Ross, a St. Mark High School player.

The experience is unique. All teams stay in make-shift dorms inside the school.

The classrooms transformed into accommodations, giving players a chance to bond off the court.

For the hometown BEC Bears, they feel they have a chance to come out on top.

“This year our team is looking pretty good and we think we have a chance to be the third team to win, so that's the goal for the week,” said Luke MacKinnon, Breton Education Centre Bears player.

This will mark the 39th year for the Coal Bowl Classic that has been a slam dunk in New Waterford for decades.

The tournament is steeped in tradition and is known among the basketball community across the country.

“It's a basketball tournament for sure, but we have people leaving here as players, coaches, and fans talking about the experience. It's like they're professional players coming into town and they're celebrities, and we want them to experience New Waterford and Cape Breton's hospitality,” said teacher Doug MacKinnon.

It's also good for business.

“We've got 250 extra people in town, so it does make a difference for our small businesses and I do think they were affected by that, so it's good for them that we're back as well,” said Romard.

Play begins on Monday with the tournament and finishes up Saturday with the championship final.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks

Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.

Stay Connected