Anishinabek Police Services makes sequel comedic video about Little NHL travels

By Sam Laskaris

MARKHAM – She’s back.

A year after gaining some notoriety by starring in a comedic video promoting the Little Native Hockey League tournament, Chantal Larocque, a sergeant with Anishinabek Police Services (APS), is involved in a sequel video.

The latest video was released by APS ahead of this year’s tournament, often simply called the Little NHL.

The 50th edition of the Little NHL began on Monday and continues until Thursday, where a record 245 teams are participating in this year’s event, primarily being staged at rinks in Markham. Arenas in Richmond Hill and Stouffville are also being utilized.

The Little NHL has become the largest Indigenous youth hockey tournament in Ontario.

In last year’s APS video, Larocque, who works as a media and recruitment officer, ‘accidentally’ forgets what day the Little NHL begins. The video includes a ‘flying’ police car, which picks up a couple of teenagers, who are bound for the tournament as well but are stranded on the road after their auntie’s car broke down.

“We did one last year, which was a smaller production,” Larocque said. “It was a minute and a half. It was for Little NHL, but because Nipissing was hosting, the focus was on Nipissing.”

Larocque said since the 2023 video was well-received, talks surfaced to make a sequel this year.

“We thought, ‘Let’s not necessarily do it about Anishinabek Police, let’s do it about Indigenous policing,’” she said.

The thinking was to include different police vehicles that could get Larocque to this year’s tournament. And once again, she picks up the same stranded teenagers who again couldn’t complete their journey to the tourney after auntie’s car had another breakdown.

The big reveal of how Larocque and the teens arrived at this year’s tournament – a Zamboni – was made at the Little NHL opening ceremonies held on Sunday at the Markham Civic Centre.

Besides providing a few laughs, Larocque said this year’s video will also be utilized as a recruiting tool.

“It’s for this week,” she said. “But because I’m part of recruitment, it’s also a recruitment video. It’s showing kids that we have all the toys that other police services have and if you’re interested in wanting to work for Indigenous policing, apply to Indigenous policing. So, it’s really a recruitment video for the province. Hopefully it attracts more people.”

Meanwhile, Sergeant Major J.P. Spence from the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service once again has a cameo in this year’s video.

Spence said the videos show a side of Indigenous police officers that perhaps some might not see in other officers.

“I think almost every Indigenous police service has community policing in the forefront,” he said. “Having that separate, approachable personnel available to them all the time – people that are culturally sensitive and understand them as a distinct culture and as a distinct people. So, we as Indigenous people and Indigenous officers certainly incorporate, I guess an approachable culturally sensitive profession to the communities that they serve.”

In addition to Spence, Toronto Maple Leafs’ all-star forward Mitch Marner also makes a surprise appearance in this year’s APS video.

The video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-HJ1BBozk4