The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is investing in women's hockey once again, this time in Lloydminster. Lakeland College will receive $75,000 over three years to fund community programs and outreach initiatives led by the college’s hockey team, the Rustlers. The programs aim to help young women play competitive sports and will also reach out to Indigenous youth and newcomers to Canada, encouraging them to get into hockey.
Growing Women's Sports Community
The funding comes amid a rapidly growing women's sports community in Canada. The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and the Northern Super League, a new women’s pro soccer league, have both seen an influx of funding. In 2025, Hockey Canada released 14 national recommendations to grow women’s hockey, some of which are beginning to take effect.
Removing Barriers for Women in Sports
Kent Hummelle, vice-president of people and cultural services at Lakeland College, says the funding will help remove barriers for women in sports. “Hockey is more than a game. It has the power to build confidence, foster belonging and bring communities together,” he said. “The funding will allow Lakeland to expand programming for youth, newcomers to Canada and Indigenous athletes, creating welcoming spaces where everyone has the opportunity to participate and thrive.”
Lakeland Rustlers Programs
The Lakeland Rustlers will be involved in several programs. One is Wintergation, an introductory skating program aimed at newcomers to Canada. They will also host girls’ hockey camps and offer female athletes behind-the-scenes experiences at their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) games. Their hockey camps are scheduled for July 17-19.
The Rustlers program started in 2021 in conjunction with the local community and quickly became a notable team in the conference, winning gold this past season. It is now common for most post-secondary schools to host development camps, with all three Edmonton-based schools holding summer camps annually.
Even Strength Program
This funding is another push by the Oilers’ Even Strength Program, their women’s hockey initiative. Their Girls Learn to Play program provides a safe space for young girls in hockey, similar to the Rustlers’ Wintergation, as camps are also run by post-secondary athletes.
The foundation’s executive director, Myrna Khan, emphasized the Even Strength program in a statement about the new Rustlers funding: “Through our Even Strength program, we’re proud to support initiatives that help more girls and women participate in sport through the power and spirit of hockey.”
