We will use this post to make updates about Project Mongolia on an annual basis.
Project Mongolia Equipment Collection: Help us Make it a Success
We’ve set equipment collection again in Vancouver, September 21, 2019 from 8am to 4pm at Kitsilano Rec Center in Vancouver.
You can also join donors from around the world and DONATE on our Go Fund Me page! Financial donations will be used on the ground in Mongolia to cover some hotel and transportation costs our coaches while we are there in Mongolia as well as the purchase of small items like helmet screws, laces, hand held skate sharpening tools, etc.
We encourage all local minor hockey associations to help collect used equipment, share this story, and help us fill the container again. Our goal is to again double the number of kids playing hockey in Mongolia by filling another 20 foot container!With your help we can add another 600 sets of kids equipment and quadruple the number of goalies in the country! With your help we can make it happen.
Tons of PHOTOS: View our favourite pictures in this Google Photos Album.
Project Mongolia: February 2019 Success:
- We have the full support of The Canadian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, The Mongolia Hockey Federation under the amazing leadership of my new Mongolian brother Mergen Arselan, and Canadian companies including Erdene Resource Development Corp., Redpath, and Major Drilling, and many local companies, politicians, and community leaders.
- Project Mongolia 2019 added 600 hockey players to their roster, increasing the number of players 2X from 2015!
- A number of rinks have been renovated, sponsors are paying for 100% of rink costs and maintenance allowing children to PLAY FOR FREE!
Project Mongolia Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
- Held Project Mongolia 2019 planning meeting at Canadian embassy with Ambassador Sproule, Senior Trade Commissioner Steve Basadur and his team, Erdene Resource Development Corp Founder Peter Akerley.
- On ice at 15th district. -18 degrees, sunny and beautiful after the smog blew away! As you may remember from our documentary, this ice rink had been converted into a parking lot, but is now completely renovated with new boards and back up and running. Local company Blast now covers the ice costs so that kids can play for free, and what a difference it has made.
- Great to see some amazing female players on ice! (Picture on the top right of the gallery above.)
- As per her request, our former student Davida’s goalie gear is now with the women’s national team goalie!
- Many National TV and local media in attendance.
- Dinner at Ambassador residence with local politicians and Canadian sponsors
- Media Link: Mongolian National Broadcaster
- Media Link: GoGo News Agency
- (English TV): Mongolia National Broadcaster: Embassy of Canada to Mongolia Hosts Hockey Week in Mongolia
Project Mongolia Day 2: Ulaanbaatar
- Canada Mongolia game. -22 and colder feeling than other days.
- Hosted by Ambassador Sproule and organized by Trade Commissioner Steve Basadur
- First ever person to bring hockey to Mongolia in 60’s on our team (pic top left)!
- Former Ambassador to Canada and now Chairman of the Board at Oigo Toigo in attendance, dropping the puck.
- Ice rink at local school.
- National TV and local media there
- Broke my skate blade just like Karin said I would in our 2015 documentary taking a pass off my skate in -22 weather!
- Set up Tara for first husband / wife goal sequence in Canada / Mongolia game history:)
- Stopped at Mergen Arslan’s home. Federation president. Rink in his yard. Here he sorted our container of gear with the help of his sons over 7 days in -35 weather! (pic top right)
- Drove to Bugant, 7 hours north, 80 km from Siberian border.
Project Mongolia Day 3: Bugant
- On ice in Bugant. -12 and beautiful.
- Amazing village off the grid. Many homes do not have running water. Fortunately there are forests nearby so families can burn wood for heat instead of coal. (See images of young 5-6 year old girls carrying water home for family.)
- Cows, goats and packs of dogs all around.
- Hotel with heat and hot water, a little warmer than 2015 when we slept in -20 room with ice on the walls!
- New boards, fully renovated rink in great condition. Local sponsor built and caring for rink.
- Tournament in full swing.
- 40 kids and 4 goalies on ice, but only 4 pucks!
- 200 kids from school now playing. People proud of that
- Girl in full gear who’s mom drove 7 hours at night on dangerous road to Mergen’s home in UB, knocked on door at midnight begging him for hockey gear for her to play- he gave her skates and full set and now girl in tournament.
- Performance of young girls, young boy singers and boys dance.
- 1 player in particular without a stick – we gave him one and hence could play in the tournament!
- Lunch with head of province and sport for province at home Of the sponsor. Goat for lunch (hot stones inside for 6-7 hours and rounds of vodka shots as each attendee made speeches. Fat of the goat went to most honoured guests.
- Theory of needing fat and meet to stay warm in the winter months and sustain herders as they were our with their livestock for hours/days in the cold
- Interview with National TV- dog crashed the party.
- Drive to Erdenet
- Late night game on great rink vs Russian mine workers and some kids. -22. Chilly but we survived!
Project Mongolia Day 4: Erdenet
- On ice in Erdenet. -20 but some wind so felt much colder.
- 30 year old city due to mine. Much more modern than other places. The future of the city is very uncertain when mine closes.
- Rink looking out at big open pit mine on the hill.
- Saw Erdee Bayer, a huge help in 2015, and one kid, now 19, from 2015 documentary Darkhan scene.
- On ice with 35 kids, but no nets, they were being used for the men’s National Championship on another rink in town!
- Basic skill and organizational level, we hope to bring much more attention to hockey in Erdenet and have local companies and government on board.
- We met a couple of Canadian families living full time in Erdenet, a long way from home!
- Throat singer and horse fiddle performance (check out some mind blowing video in the photo album) and more ceremonial vodka at every toast (ouch).
- Local TV in attendance.
Project Mongolia: Day 5 & 6: Back to the Capital
- Drive through Ger District as short cut into UB, where pollution is unbearable in winter due to coal burning, and 800’000 people living in traditional gers.
- Media interviews with UB Post, Bloomberg Television, Mongolia National Broadcaster show Sidelines
- Good wrap up with Ambassador Sproule and Senior Trade Commissioner Steve Basadur.
- Great dinner with Peter and Bilguun from Erdene Resource Development Corp.
- That’s a wrap for Project Mongolia 2019.
- Left much of our gear including our skates behind, and can’t wait for 2020!
