Taku River Tlingit First Nation celebrated the opening of a new outdoor rink in Atlin, B.C. on Friday with a ceremony featuring NHL Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier.

The “first of its kind” facility has a covered natural ice-surface for skating and hockey in the winter. In the summer, the area will be used for sports like basketball and baseball, as well as community gatherings, including potlatches. The project was funded through Jordan’s Principle.

Trottier, a former NHL hockey player who won four Stanley Cups during his career, says it was a “great honour” to be invited to the grand opening, after first visiting youth in the community last year.

“Brings me back to my First Nations roots, music, celebration, nature, family, sports, all these things that’s in our blood,” he said. “The invites are always special, because, again, it’s for me to celebrate my heritage.”

At the grand opening Friday, community members had an opportunity to skate on the new rink for the first time. 

Taku River Tlingit citizen Keith Carlick bought his own pair of skates for the occasion, hitting the ice for the first time in 30 years.

“I wish we had this when we were kids,” he said.

Now, Taku River Tlingit youth will have the opportunity to learn a variety of on and off-ice sports right in their own backyard.

“It will give a lot of our community an opportunity to start doing more activities, especially our youth,” said Marilyn Bowie, Taku River First Nation’s Wolf director.

“Maybe one day Atlin [players] will be able to join a team in the Native Hockey Tournament in the Yukon,” she said.

Vivian Mahoney, a Taku River Tlingit citizen, says the new space will bring community members of all ages together.

“I love it because you look out on the skating rink and there’s every generation there, and that’s another thing that we always worked on, is bringing the people together, no matter what age you are.”