Ontario Women's Hockey Association

Ontario Women's Hockey Association
Founded1975; 49 years ago (1975)
FounderCookie Cartwright
TypeSports governing body
PurposeOrganize and promote women's ice hockey in Ontario, Canada
Headquarters225 Watline Avenue
Mississauga, Ontario
Location
FieldIce hockey
Membership (2020)
51,395 registered[1]
Official language
English
WebsiteOWHA.on.ca

The Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) is the governing body of women's ice hockey in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The OWHA is a member of the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF), the Ontario branch of Hockey Canada. The Association was formed in 1975 by Cookie Cartwright to generate interest in women's ice hockey.[citation needed] Roughly ten years later, Fran Rider became the association's executive director.

In 1976, Rhonda Leeman Taylor took on a volunteer position with the OWHA and helped the Association grow the number of registered female teams from 101 to 203, within three years.[2] She became the first employee hired by Hockey Ontario to assist in the development of the OWHA, then in 1980 became its first salaried female employee.

  1. ^ "OWHA Annual Report 2019-2020" (PDF). Ontario Women's Hockey Association. p. 7. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Ramp Interactive.
  2. ^ Julia Galt (2020-02-28). "Newmarket author reveals untold stories of women's hockey history". newmarkettoday.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-15.