dct espanola

Serving up ice dreams in Espanola

The Hockey Canada Foundation’s Dreams Comes True program helps 40 more kids get – and stay – in the game

Wendy Graves
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September 24, 2015
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On the last weekend of summer, days usually reserved for a last lick of soft-serve and a final farewell to shorts, 40 kids in Espanola, Ont., were all too happy to mark the first sign of the fall and winter ahead.

Thanks to the Hockey Canada Foundation’s Dreams Come True program, more than three dozen underprivileged children were outfitted head-to-toe in new Bauer equipment on Saturday, Sept. 19. The program also covers their registration fees for the 2015-16 season.

Since 2007, Dreams Come True has supplied new equipment and helped cover registration fees for more than 800 players who otherwise would not be able to get in the game.

“I think it’s a sign of where our hearts are, that we want to support the grassroots part of the game,” says Chris Bright, director of recruitment programs for Hockey Canada, and the former executive director of the Hockey Canada Foundation. “It’s not all about Olympic medals. We recognize that the sport does have its costs, and with that in mind we’re able to come into two or three communities a year and do these one-off events.”

Espanola marked the program’s first trip to northeastern Ontario.

The kids, ranging from six to 12 years old, were divided into two groups and given the star treatment right from registration. Individual equipment bags were waiting for them, packed with gear personalized from the sizing the players had provided. Experts from the local Canadian Tire store, as well as players from the Espanola Express, the local Junior A team, were on hand to help fit the players.

There was no shortage of support for the program in the community.

“It was just a collaborative effort,” says Dustin Bursey, Canadian Tire Jumpstart’s regional manager for East & Near North Ontario, who, himself, was busy doing equipment runs and helping with sizing. “I think the ratio was almost four volunteers per child at one point. It was really cool to see.”

“Everyone just wanted to help and be part of it,” says Ryan Hurley, manager of the Hockey Canada Regional Centre in Ontario. “Even when we were in town people were going out of their way to say thank you for bringing the program to Espanola.”

Members of the Express shared their dressing room with the new players. The players handled skate sharpening and stick cutting and taping duties for the newcomers, before everyone took to the ice for a 75-minute skills session.

“We wanted to make it fun,” says Bright, who led the on-ice activities. “We want the whole day to have a lot of life and we try to keep it light that way on the ice as well. It’s the beginning of the hockey season so a lot of kids hadn’t been on the ice, so we’re trying to get their feet underneath them and get their edges going again.”

The local arena often serves as a community hub, and it’s no different in the small town of 5,400 people. The Espanola Minor Hockey Association takes in players from outlying areas, its rink becoming the centerpiece for everyone in the region. Some of the Dreams Come True kids had played before, others will now be able to enjoy their first season, but all have been embraced by the larger community.

“It shows people that there’s help out there for their kids to get involved with hockey and I think it gives a positive picture for the overall hockey of the area,” says Ross Nichols, president of the Espanola MHA. “The parents were really grateful that their kids were able to still play. The kids, there wasn’t one who wasn’t smiling or happy. My biggest memory is just seeing the kids happy.”

Like the Hockey Canada Foundation, Canadian Tire Jumpstart wants to increase accessibility to sport and encourage a fun physical activity. Helping Dreams Come True make a big impact in a small community was the perfect match for Jumpstart, says Bursey.

The organization helped the Hockey Canada Foundation identify a pocket in northeastern Ontario where financial assistance was particularly needed and which kids would most benefit from being a part of the program.

But no matter who is giving and who is receiving, Dreams Come True ends up being rewarding for all involved.

“It’s just being able to be the face of Hockey Canada for this program and seeing all the smiling faces and just pure excitement of the kids,” says Hurley. “It’s like Christmas morning for them – it’s the highlight of the year. And it’s probably one of the highlights of my year, too, being able to support these kids and get them doing something they love.”

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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