OTTAWA — Canada’s 150th birthday celebration will not include an outdoor National Hockey League game on Parliament Hill.
The press secretary for Heritage Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement that a full-stadium NHL game on the Hill was not considered feasible, and that other options are being considered to honour the nation’s milestone birthday.
The NHL and Ottawa Senators hockey club had been pushing for the game, which would have also coincided with the 100th anniversary of the league and 25th birthday of the team.
In the statement, however, the Heritage Ministry said the government worked with partners in the public and private sectors over the past 18 months and concluded that installing a temporary rink would disrupt everyday business on Parliament Hill and would create security and public access issues.
