Canada’s only all-black hockey league in the country’s history has received long-awaited national recognition.
MP Steven Guilbeault announced the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHLM) has been designated as an event of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.
“The history of this league and its players is one that illustrates the many remarkable ways Black Nova Scotians worked to promote equality in the Maritimes and exemplifies the enduring legacy of Black heritage in Canada,” said Guilbeault in a news release on Wednesday.
“I think it’s a recognition that is long overdue,” said former university hockey player Percy Paris, an African Nova Scotian who added that the aura of CHLM players inspired him to chase his own hockey dreams. “It was always good to know that there were others who looked like you who were playing the game of hockey.”
The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. (Courtesy of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame)
In 1895, the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes was launched by church leaders in Halifax, and quickly grew in popularity.
“The league boasted more than a dozen teams in its hey day, playing before record crowds,” said Hockey Nova Scotia Diversity and Inclusion chair Dean Smith. “The league was incredibly important during that era because they provided an avenue and a space for African Nova Scotians to participate in this wonderful game of hockey.”
Teams included the Charlottetown West End Rangers, Africville Sea-Sides, Dartmouth Jubilees, Halifax Eurekas and Amherst Royals, to name a few.
After decades of obscurity, the CHLM has enjoyed a historic rebirth, garnering attention in recent years.
Canada Post’s commemorative stamp
In 2020, Canada Post unveiled a commemorative stamp as a tribute to the league that ceased operations in the 1920s.
In February 2025, Nova Scotia’s Black Ice Society, in partnership with Hockey Nova Scotia and the Department of African Nova Scotian Affairs, will host a celebration weekend to honour the 130th anniversary of the league.
There have also been Hockey Nova Scotia-led community programs, to teach young hockey players about the league’s teams, stars and historic legacy.
Canada Post’s commemorative stamp.
“Through those programs, we include a component where we educate people on the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes,” said Smith.
Smith added that it’s a top priority, to ensure today’s generation of young players are aware of the contributions made by the athletes who played in the CHLM.