The Battlefords will be hosting the 2011 Saskatchewan Law Enforcement Hockey Tournament.
The tournament will take place Jan. 13 to 14, with games being played in both the Civic Centre in North Battleford and the Battleford Arena in Battleford.
North Battleford RCMP Const. Devin Esquirol has participated in two tournaments previously and is looking forward to his third.
"It's a lot of work setting up, but it will be a lot of fun and a team building experience," he said.
The annual tournament involves teams from different law enforcement agencies throughout the province, including corrections officers, city police, bylaw officers and RCMP.
Hosting the tournament will provide the Battlefords with an opportunity to showcase itself, as well as bringing in business.
An average of 10 teams regularly participate in the Saskatchewan Law Enforcement Hockey Tournament, which can translate into 200 to 300 people flocking to the Battlefords for the two days.
"There's lots of opportunity for people to get out into the community," said Esquirol.
Besides the games themselves, the tournament will likely include a meet-and-greet evening, a banquet and live entertainment.
It is expected that ice-time for the non-profit event will cost around $7,000, which is a higher cost than when the tournament was held in Regina last year.
In an effort to reduce the cost, the tournament committee requested both the City of North Battleford and the Town of Battleford offer the ice-time, which was scheduled during non-peak hours, at a reduced rate.
Battleford Town Council decided to still charge the full rate for the use of Battleford Arena.
The City of North Battleford is expected to make a decision on whether to offer the use of the Civic Centre at a reduced rate during their next scheduled council meeting.
Teams playing in the tournament will be paying an entry fee, which will be determined after final costs are set and fundraising completed. Any remaining money will be donated to a local charity.
