Outpouring of support for kids as the North Bay Battalion host first Indigenous Youth Day

By Kelly Anne Smith

NIPISSING FIRST NATION— 668 tickets were donated for Indigenous youth and their families to attend a North Bay Battalion Ontario Hockey League game on Dec.12 for the Battalion’s first Indigenous Youth Day.

Youth and their parents of Nipissing First Nation, Dokis First Nation, Bear Island First Nation and Eagle Lake First Nation were invited to the Battalion home game against the Barrie Colts.

George Couchie, a citizen of Nipissing First Nation, had recently been at an exhibition game when the video of Chantal Larocque, a Sergeant with the Anishinabek Police Service, singing out O Canada moved the crowd. He thought to himself, “Wouldn’t it be awesome for kids to see it during a game?”

“They could experience the Battalion big game feeling at Memorial Gardens,” Couchie explained.

An Anishnaabekwe of Nipissing First Nation, from Dokis First Nation, Lorie Young helped to work the phone lines. She says most of the donated tickets were possible through the generosity of First Nation businesses.

“First North Enterprise, Necessities, Eagles Nest Gas Bar, Wolves Den Gas Bar, Young Forestry Services, Arrowhead Gas Bar, that’s just to name a few,” she noted. “We’ve also got donations from non-Indigenous businesses Cal-tire and Farquar’s Chrysler. I don’t have the list in front of me but everybody wanted to jump on board. The minute I mentioned it to them, ‘Yes, how can we help?’ It was a phenomenal turnout.”

Kids were encouraged to enter a free raffle with a chance to win a signed Curve Lake First Nation’s Dalyn Wakely #14 jersey and a stick signed by the whole team.

Young says they wanted to show the kids that “someone from our background is up here under the lights.”

“Dalyn played Little NHL. He didn’t grow up on-reserve but he did grow up with his grandparents always on-reserve. He did the fishing. He did the hunting. He did all of the same things that the kids did that are going to be here. They are going to see him and think, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ That’s the message that Dalyn really likes to get to the kids, is that if you have a dream that you want to get to, don’t let anything get in your way.”

Showing pride in Indigenous youth was the motivation for the day says Young.

“They are a group of people that we are proud of and we want to showcase. They have so much to offer. Just look at what Dalyn’s doing. You can do the same thing. And not just in hockey. Maybe it’s in politics or education. We can achieve anything.”

At the door, St. Joseph Scollard Hall Catholic Secondary School student volunteers handed out noise-makers that were donated by the Anishinabek Nation. Close by, Couchie was greeting hockey fans as they arrived for the big day.

“The kids from Scollard have been doing an awesome job and the Battalion really helped us to get this going. It’s about telling people that Indigenous people are here. We are your neighbour or your classmates and your co-workers. And it’s about celebrating Dalyn and Ty Nelson.”

Just before game time, seven-year-old Zac Sawyer and six-year-old Nesewin Fisher dropped pucks with North Bay Mayor Al McDonald and Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod during a ceremonial face-off between the Battalion’s Dalyn Wakely and Barrie Colts’ Brandt Clark.

Burning Plains drum group members Blair Beaucage, Zach Beaudette, Tory Fisher, Jordan Mowat, and Mckenzie Ottereyes Eagle sang the Honour Song.

Sergeant Larocque saluted as Anishinabek Police Service O Canada video played on the jumbotron. Larocque sings O Canada in French, English and Anishinaabemowin.

Larocque wanted to be at Indigenous Youth Day in-person, driving up from Barrie and driving right back again after the game to provide officers training.

“For a lot of the kids, I hope, they think this is normal. And I think for the older people here, it’s a sign of change and reconciliation. But we want the kids to think that they are just like every other child. And that they matter. And that they don’t grow up with the racism that everyone else has been subjected to,” she explained. “For them, this is just a fun day and it should be just fun. It should be about the positives versus the negatives. And this is a great sign of it. The Battalion doing this is fantastic. Playing our O Canada is fantastic. We never expected this kind of response. This is super!”

Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod was amazed at the turnout.

“You can just tell from all the screaming and yelling here that the Nishnaabes are in the house. It’s a pretty good day,” expressed Chief McLeod. “Dalyn must be stoked that there are so many Indigenous people here watching and cheering him on. He gave me a thumbs-up as I came off the ice.”