The community of Gananoque will host a hockey tournament and fundraiser in honour of late MP Gord Brown Wednesay, at the Lou Jeffries Arena.
Brown died of a heart attack in May after getting back to his Parliament Hill office from a pick-up hockey game. He was 57.
Brown had held the Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes seat for the Conservatives since 2004.
On Wednesday, a charity hockey tournament will be held in Brown’s hometown of Gananoque to raise money for the United Way and to help cover the cost of setting up the Canada 150 Rink in its new home.
"The shock of losing Gord is still with us but seeing his dream coming closer to reality is very touching and comforting. Gord would have been truly honoured so see this become a reality,” Brown’s wife, Claudine Courtois, said in a statement. “While I would have very much liked to have been there to welcome the rink, it is very exciting to see the Canada 150 rink in its new home. Gord would be proud that so many in our community will benefit for years to come.”
The rink, which has been named the Gord Brown Memorial Canada 150 Rink used to sit on Parliament Hill. Gananoque was chosen as its permanent home earlier this year. The rink arrived Nov. 20, but won’t be operational until next winter. The community is raising money to cover the cost of setting up the rink without tax dollars.
Funds raised at the tournament will be split 50/50 with the United Way and the rink fund.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll, Courtois said Brown loved the game of hockey.
“Gordie would try to find a morning hockey game anywhere, doesn’t matter if we woke up here in Ottawa or in the riding,” she said. “He’d find a morning hockey game or an evening hockey game and he’d come home and say, ‘Claudine, you should have seen the goal I scored! It was great!’”
Courtois says doors for the hockey game open at the Lou Jeffries Arena at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.00
But she says there’s more.
“There’s also a VIP party later on, after the game for $50 a ticket,” she said. “There will be NHL greats, OHL greats, a whisky bar, that sort of event.”
There’s also an online auction that runs until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, featuring autographed sports memorabilia and travel vouchers, among other items.