The Coal Bowl Classic is the most prestigious high school boys basketball tournament in Canada and it annually offers its 165 participants a unique opportunity to participate in numerous educational, social, cultural and athletic events. Additionally, the tournament offers our 400 student, staff and community volunteers the invaluable opportunity to stage a first class national event and also for everyone to meet, mingle and play host to our many guests from across the country.

This year's tournament will mark our 28th anniversary and it is scheduled to take place from February 2 - February 7, 2009 inclusive. All previous tournaments have been sold-out and resounding successes, and we expect the same for this one. The feedback over the years has been extremely positive and we offer the following as a few examples:

"The Coal Bowl is the epitome of what we strive for in interscholastic athletics."
                                        Ron O'Flaherty
                                        Executive Director of the N.S.
                                        School Athletic Federation

"Congratulations to your Board of Directors for running the finest basketball tournament in Canada."
                                        Coach Peter Corby
                                        Kennebecasis Valley High School
                                        Rothesay, New Brunswick

"I have never experienced the kind of hospitality that was shown to us by the staff and students of Breton Education Centre and the community of New Waterford."
                                        Coach Dale Wilde
                                        Thom Collegiate Institute
                                        Regina, Saskatchewan

"How do you follow an act like the Coal Bowl Classic. The Town of New Waterford pulled out all stops and made this the best tournament I've ever attended. This includes the Olympics and the Canada Games."
                                        Frank Baldwin
                                        Development Co-ordinator
                                        Basketball Nova Scotia

"Words just can't describe it. I can think of nothing to compare with the experience anywhere. It's the biggest treat you can give a kid, Basketball-wise, Hospitality-wise,and Organizational wise, there's just nothing like it. It just doesn't get any better.We were treated like kings, the people were great, the hospitality was great. It's a lot more than just winning some basketball games. I'd go every year."
                                        Coach Bruce Black
                                        Frontenac Secondary School
                                        Kingston, Ont.