Young Orillia hockey players send powerful message with orange jerseys

Players from Orillia's U-15 Terriers drop the puck on a special game highlighting the Orange Jersey Project for Truth and Reconciliation on Fri. Feb. 24, 2023 (Jonathan Guignard/CTV News Barrie)

Orange was the colour of choice at a Friday night youth hockey league game, with the special jerseys meant to send an important message.

Orillia's U-15 Terriers took to the ice tonight with special orange jerseys as part of their participation in the Orange Jersey Project. The team is one of just over 700 taking part in the project that works to bring awareness to ongoing Truth & Reconciliation efforts.

"For them to be able to wear the orange jerseys today, they had to go through the schooling learning so that when they put those jerseys on, they have respect for what they've learned and what's been happening all around Canada," says Amie Shropshire, the team manager.

Since January, the young male players have been studying about Canada's residential school system and its impacts on generations of Indigenous communities.

"Having Rama [First Nation] close by has been really great," says Shropshire. "We have elders coming out tonight, and everyone's journey is different to reconciling, so we just hope that they all feel something that we have learned from their past experiences."

Altogether the team spent approximately 7 hours learning about residential school systems ahead of Friday's special awareness game.