Hockey equipment drive begins deliveries to Indigenous communities
After collecting around a thousand bags of donated hockey equipment and 2,000 sticks since April, Saturday's Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive in Barrie began delivering to youth in 15 Indigenous communities across Ontario.
"This is like the peak of the mountain," said Graham McWaters, a Richmond Hill hockey dad who founded the equipment drive almost a decade ago. "We collect [equipment] all year, and now we're distributing it to all the communities that need it."
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
McWaters and fellow hockey parent Rosemarie McKenzie began the equipment drive in 2015 by collecting and donating eight hockey bags of equipment and 20 sticks to Beausoleil First Nation. The drive has since become an annual initiative that has grown exponentially, with April's collection being its most significant yet.
"When you get three thank you's, you know you're doing good work," added McWaters. "When people donate to us, we say thank you, they say thank you to us for taking the gear and delivering it to the Indigenous communities. And then when we give the gear to the Indigenous communities, they say thank you."
McWaters and the 25-plus volunteers at the collection and delivery drives in Barrie had sorted the donated skates, gloves, helmets and other equipment in preparation for delivery.
"It's really nice to be able to help out the people that can't afford hockey gear," said Layla Blaire, a 12-year-old volunteer from the Barrie Sharks. "I love playing hockey. I've been skating since I was three years old, and it's really exciting and nice to help out the children that can't afford it."
Gary Newton travelled from the Nipissing region to pick up and deliver equipment to Dokis First Nation near Sudbury.
"Just the look on [the children's] faces says everything," said Newton. "Even though it's not brand new, it's new, and it means a lot to them. It means a lot to our community as well."
McWaters and fellow volunteers plan to finish this year's round of deliveries by November before beginning to collect donated equipment for next year's drive.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former finance minister Bill Morneau questions if it's the 'right time' for emissions cap following Trump re-election
Following the re-election of former U.S. president Donald Trump, former finance minister Bill Morneau says the Canadian government should re-evaluate the timing of some cornerstone Liberal policies.
Tornado touched down Sunday in Fergus, Ont., experts confirm
A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.
Canada cancels automatic 10-year multiple-entry visas, tightens rules
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Candlelight vigil held for Cobalt teen recovering in hospital after being attacked, ex-boyfriend charged with attempted murder
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
'I get goosebumps': Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Across Canada, dignitaries marked Remembrance Day by laying wreaths at ceremonies, school children sang in the late fall chill and veterans recalled the horrors of battle.
Man who allegedly staged bear attack arrested for murder in stolen identity scheme
A man accused of killing a person and staging it as a fatal bear attack in Tennessee was taken into custody in South Carolina over the weekend on murder charges, in what authorities described as a plot to steal the victim’s identity.
Alien-like signal from 2023 has been decoded. The next step is to figure out what it means
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Biden and Harris appear together for the first time since she lost the election to Trump
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on Monday made their first joint appearance since her U.S. selection loss when they observed Veterans Day together by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
What to know about avian flu after B.C. case, from transmission to symptoms
A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.