MONTREAL, Que. – The Hockey Canada Foundation announced on Tuesday a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation that will contribute to the funding of the construction of the third BLEU BLANC BOUGE outdoor community rink in the borough of Verdun, in the City of Montreal.

The Hockey Canada Foundation is raising funds to support this project at the sixth-annual Hockey Canada Foundation gala and golf tournament, being held in Montreal on June 29-30. Seventy-five per cent of funds raised will be directed to assist the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation in building a third outdoor community rink in two years, as part of its BLEU BLANC BOUGE program.

““We are very proud that the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Canada can partner with the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation in this, the Canadiens’ 100th anniversary season, to allow the youth population of less-privileged neighborhoods of Montreal to learn about the game of hockey and discover the advantages of a healthy and physically active lifestyle,” said Hockey Canada Foundation board member Barry Lorenzetti, who is also co-chairing the event organizing committee. “In that regard, we are also pleased to be able to support the BLEU BLANC BOUGE program, an initiative which shows that this great hockey franchise is not only honoring the past but, through its foundation, is determined to provide a better and healthier future for children in need.”

The BLEU BLANC BOUGE program was launched by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation on when the first refrigerated outdoor multipurpose community rink was inaugurated in the François-Perrault Park in the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough. The foundation announced today the selection of the borough of Montreal Nord for the built of its second outdoor community rink. Construction work will begin in August 2009 in Le Carignan Park. Exceptionally, the foundation takes this opportunity to announce that the application of the borough of Verdun was chosen for the construction of the third rink. The foundation has decided to anticipate this gift to be part of a development project already underway in the park Willibrord. This rink will be erected in spring 2010.

The annual Hockey Canada Foundation gala and celebrity golf tournament brings together Hockey Canada’s gold medal-winning teams and distinguished Team Canada alumni and raises funds for the Hockey Canada Foundation, which supports the growth of the game in Canada through various initiatives and programs, including collaborating with other charitable organizations such as the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation.