Indigenous hockey initiative lands prime time ice time in Nanaimo
CBC
A group of Indigenous kids from Vancouver Island will be geared up and hitting the ice in prime time this winter thanks to support from the City of Nanaimo, community sponsors and volunteers.
The Salish Storm, a volunteer-run organization in partnership with Kw'umut Lelum Child and Family Services, is dedicated to making hockey more accessible to Indigenous youth on Vancouver Island. This winter, they will be at Frank Crane Arena on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. PT, says volunteer coach Tim Harris.
Harris, who is from the Stz'uminus First Nation, says landing the coveted time slot at the massive arena is "like waking up on Christmas morning."
"We had ice time in Parksville a couple of years ago and it was at, like, 8 p.m. at night, we could hardly get kids there," Harris said.
The kids have already received a warm reception.
"Just last week at our session, the [British Columbia Hockey League's Nanaimo] Clippers played a pre-season game right after us and they let us stay and watch. It just takes a community to help raise our kids and we're definitely seeing that here in the City of Nanaimo and seeing that support for our program," he said.
Despite its beloved cultural status and popularity in Canada, rising costs have made ice hockey inaccessible for many children and communities. Expensive gear, high transportation costs and inconvenient ice times are challenges for many families, Harris says.