Inaugural Anemki Unity Winter Classic shoots and scores big against racism

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY—The Fort William Northstars won the Midget championship at the Anemki Unity Winter Classic hockey tournament with a 5-0 shutout over the Thunder Bay Sharks.

“That was the only one all week,” says James Pelletier, coach of the Fort William Northstars midget team, about the team’s shutout by goalie Cory Miron. “He played good for us all week, both the goaltenders did.”

Pelletier says his team played good during the March 13-16 tournament, which was held at the Fort William First Nation Arena.

“[We had] a slow start, but we got the boys moving during the week,” Pelletier says. “We just stuck to it — we got our boys pumped up in the dressing room before we went out and told them to play hard and keep their legs moving and don’t stop.”

The Pic River Sharks won the Bantam championship with a 6-1 win over the Fort William Northstars.

“It was a good game,” says Sheldon McWatch, coach of the Pic River Sharks. “It went right as planned. The boys played exactly like I wanted them to play. I couldn’t ask for anything more. It was a great tournament.”

The Thunder Bay Hawks won the Peewee championship with a 5-2 win over Machine Red.

“It feels good — the guys came together towards the end,” says Titus Semple, one of the coaches of the Thunder Bay Hawks. “We lost the first two games of the tournament and the guys just came together.”

Semple adds that the tournament was a great event. The other championship teams were the Fort William Northstars, Thunder Bay Hawks, and Fort William Northstars in the Atom, Novice, and Tyke divisions.

“I thought the community here, Fort William First Nation along with the City [of Thunder Bay], came together to put [on] a really great event to bring together Thunder Bay,” Semple says. “It’s something this city needed. It’s great for these kids, both First Nations and non-First Nations, to come together and build relationships now while they are young. It just makes the future brighter.”

Bess Legarde, Anemki Unity Winter Classic chair, says the tournament was a success with about 17 teams participating from across northwestern Ontario.

“It turned out great,” Legarde says. “There was lots of good feedback and tons of fun stuff going on. All the kids had fun.”

Fort William Chief Peter Collins says the tournament was held to build a stronger relationship between the youth in Fort William and the youth in Thunder Bay.

“I want to thank all of the sponsors who have made this happen,” Collins says at the start of the tournament. “We talk about racism in our communities — hopefully this helps gather and close that gap and build that positive relationship for our communities, for our Elders, for all of us so that we can talk and walk in the same direction as one unified community: Thunder Bay-Fort William.”

Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs says the tournament will help Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to learn more about each other.

“It’s a long journey, but I think we are making huge progress,” Hobbs says. “For the parents, teach your kids not to engage in racism; to the kids, tell your parents not to engage in it, too. I can’t think of a better way than sport and ice hockey to bring that message home.”

Fort William first announced the tournament last December.