A Coldwater man’s vision for an exchange program between a Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) team and a group of Indigenous hockey players came to fruition this month.
Mike Purdy, a volunteer member of the GTHL board of directors, who lives in Coldwater, was inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, especially the ones that related to sports and recreation. He got in touch with Steve Whitaker, principal of Shawanosowe School in Whitefish River First Nation, to lay the foundation for a unique experience.
“We identified a select U11 team in Scarborough who wouldn’t be doing the away tournaments that a lot of more competitive teams might be doing,” he said. “We then partnered up with Whitefish River First Nation and a group of kids from there who are of a bit wider of an age range because there aren’t that many kids on the reserve.”
In November, the players from Whitefish River visited their Scarborough exchange team in Toronto for a weekend. After sharing in a couple of on-ice sessions, the players visited Scotiabank Arena to watch the morning skate before a Toronto Maple Leafs games against the Boston Bruins. They got to tour the Maple Leafs’ dressing room, and met a couple of NHL players before heading to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Scarborough team rode nearly five hours to visit Whitefish River First Nation from Feb. 3 to 5. Players shared in an indoor and outdoor on-ice session with former NHL Coach of the Year Ted Nolan and his sons, retired NHL players Brandon and Jordan Nolan.
“The Whitefish River folks did a fantastic job,” Purdy said. “It was a fantastic weekend despite it being -37 with the wind chill.”
During the weekend, the Scarborough players joined their Whitefish River counterparts for tobogganing, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and a bonfire.
“The Scarborough kids were very interested in teachings about the culture and language in Whitefish River,” Purdy said. “I bet you the kids from Scarborough could now rhyme off 10 Anishinaabe words.”
He says the parents, players and everyone involved with the project had a blast and made some new friends.
“They spent a lot of time together and took part in a lot of group activities,” he said. “That was a part of the goal.”
Purdy hopes the players involved have taken away a better understanding and appreciation of each other’s daily lives, cultures, and traditions.
“I don’t think the kids ever felt as they were in school,” he said. “They had a whole lot of fun and have come away with a lot of great memories and some awareness that they didn’t have previously.”
He says the Scarborough and Whitefish River exchange was only intended to be a pilot. Now, he is hopeful it will become common among GTHL teams and other First Nations communities.
