P.E.I. basketball tournament cancelled due to N.S. teacher job action

The Nova Scotia teachers' job action has hooped a P.E.I. basketball tournament that was supposed to happen this weekend.

The 23rd annual Christmas Classic at Three Oaks High School in Summerside, P.E.I., featuring AAA boys' teams, was booked Thursday through Saturday, but the tournament has been called off.

Three of the eight teams are from Nova Scotia, and with teachers in that province working to rule their players can't come.

"You usually deal with things like weather and that sort of related issues with tournaments," said tournament organizer Joel Arsenault.

"This is a first for me, to have work to rule with teachers be a reason that the teams aren't going to make it."

Thousands of players off the court

Arsenault said the impact on school basketball in Nova Scotia goes well beyond this event.

"It really affects thousands of basketball players," he said.

"They can't practice, play, attend tournaments, do any sort of training sessions, or anything. So theirseasons are in jeopardy."

Arsenault said his senior players are disappointed, but some are heading to the Red Hawk Classic tournament in Rothesay, N.B., this weekend instead.

The P.E.I. players are filling the slots of Nova Scotia players so that tournament can continue.

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