Student athletes fight to save provincials lost to work-to-rule

Six high school sports in Nova Scotia will not name provincial winners this year because their seasons were suspended when teachers went on work-to-rule during their contract dispute with the province.

Hockey, basketball, wrestling, curling, snowboarding and skiing championships, normally held over the next few weeks, have been cancelled by the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation.

"Time is just not our friend in this instance," said Stephen Gallant, the federation's executive director. "With the winter sports, we've just come up against not having enough time to get them through the system in time to meet those dates."

The decision comes after hundreds of hockey and basketball players were forced to join other leagues this winter. Many of those leagues will continue, but only for a few more weeks.

'Really big disappointment'

Jacob Nobbe started his Grade 12 hockey season playing for the Citadel High Phoenix, but when work-to-rule started in early December, his final season was put on hold.

Now he's learned he won't get the chance to play for a high school title.

On Thursday, Nobbe and some of his teammates delivered a letter to their school principal asking him to talk with the NSSAF to try and get provincials reinstated.

"It's just a really big disappointment because we wanted to compete for the provincial championship," said Nobbe. "It's disappointing they cancel it, for really no reason."

Nobbe and the rest of his teammates at Citadel are hoping there is a change and the provincials, which were set to be played in Glace Bay, can be reinstated.

At least one other boys' high school team, the Auburn Drive High School Eagles, have approached their principal with a similar request.

Teachers will decide what extra work to do

Earlier this week, Nova Scotia's Liberal government passed legislation imposing a new contract on 9,300 teachers. Many of those teachers are also high school coaches and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union has said individual teachers can decide how involved to get in extracurricular activities.

That puts the coaching of school spring sports teams like rugby, badminton, softball and track-and-field, in a grey area.

"We'll have to wait and see," said Gallant, the head of the NSSAF. "We've always had a great relationship with teachers in our schools and I hope that will continue."