How do you save a dying town in the Alberta prairies?

In 2001, Warner’s high school was in danger of closing because of low enrollment.

Rural high schools:

• Engage the youth
• Bring teachers and jobs
• Act as a point of pride for the community

Warner residents knew that if their school left, businesses and infrastructure would soon follow.

There was only one way to keep their school open and their town alive: higher enrollment.

Could hockey save the town?

The town had renovated an old grain storage elevator into a rejuvenated ice rink. Hockey is a huge part of prairie life, and Warner’s rink supported the needs of many surrounding communities.

Inspired by Big Sky thinking, Warner hatched a plan to save its school, and its town, with the sport it loved.

A hockey-based school was nothing new, but Warner had a way to make theirs different. Canada has the best women hockey players in the world, but few schools were dedicated to female youth development.

It was decided: Warner would increase its high school’s enrollment, and prevent it from closing, by creating a premiere women’s hockey school.

Can a small prairie town compete with big city hockey?

Warner put its future into an untested model of growth. Even though Warner had a great rink, it still needed funding to create:

• A coaching team
• An innovative curriculum
• Dressing rooms
• Medical and support staff
• Student housing
• Travel support

With their future unsure, Warner dedicated 32,000 volunteer hours to get the school going.

When the program was set up, enrollment followed. The school also came at an opportune time:

Excitement for women’s hockey was boiling

after with the Canadian women’s national team had won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The U.S. had mandated that colleges must provide an equal number of funded spaces for female and male athletes. Knowing there may be a future in their sport beyond high school boosted women’s passion for hockey.

In 2008, the Rural Alberta Development Fund provided $534,000 that Warner used to hire top coaches, skilled trainers, and extensive support staff.

The funding took Warner’s already impressive school to the next level.