So when one thinks of Canada, the first thing that usually comes to mind is "ice skating". Afterall, think of all the contributions that the country of Canada has made to the great sport of hockey. Not to mention - the king of the rink - Wayne Gretzky. I know that when he got married in Canada, it was as popular as when Princess Diana married Prince Charles. Okay, so what on earth does Canada have to do with Israel? Well, apparently Canada is a strong supporter of the Jewish homeland.
Let me tell you about Israel's Canada Centre, which is located in the town of Metula, in Northern Israel. Canada Centre is the home of Israel's largest ice arena and apparently is a really popular tourist attraction. Not surprising considering that you probably don't come across a lot of ice rinks in the Middle East! In addition to ice skating, the center has a huge swimming pool, hot tubs, wet and dry saunas, table tennis, basketball courts, and a shooting range.
They also have a few "Canadian content" sports, such as squash courts (think racquetball), and snooker (think billiards). The center also has a bowling alley, however, I'm not sure if it is the American 10-pin version, or the traditional Canadian 5-pin version? As far as I can tell, the only sport that is missing is Curling. That is a popular sport in Canada, where players sweep a stone down the ice. My husband thinks that curling is is the most ridiculous sport in the world, but I've tried it and though it was actually quite fun. It's one of those sports that looks easy... but it's a lot of work.
In case you are wondering how Israel's Canada Centre came into being, it was funded by the Jewish community in Canada. Only Canadians see spreading the gospel of hockey as their mission in the world! I must say though, that the Israelis have put the generous gift to good use. They have already turned out a handful of world-class skaters - they took the bronze medal in 2002. In addition, Israel now has over 500 registered hockey players, and they now have an eight-team Israeli Hockey League.
Way to go Israel! And way to go Canada for bringing such a cool place (literally) to the desert. I wonder how you say "eh" in Hebrew?
