M’Chigeeng Anishinaabekwe named to Ontario Hockey Federation board

By Sam Laskaris

M’CHIGEENG FIRST NATION – Gayle Payette is all set now to deliver her one-liners to a provincial audience.

Payette, a member of M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island, officially joined the board of directors for the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) on June 24.

The 52-year-old is believed to be the first Indigenous person to serve on the board for the OHF, the largest member of Hockey Canada and a governing body for amateur hockey in Ontario.

Payette, who is a teacher at Wiikwemkoong Junior School, was asked what she will bring to the provincial hockey federation’s board.

“My great sense of humour,” she said.

In all seriousness though, Payette is not taking her new position lightly.

“It means a lot,” she said. “It’s a big step. And I think it’s a big statement.”

Payette is no stranger to the hockey community. She had served as the second vice-president of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) since 2020.

She had one year remaining on that three-year position, but because of her OHF board duties now, she has to resign from her NOHA responsibilities.

Payette’s NOHA duties included serving as the chair of its recruitment and retention committee.

She’s eager to continue similar work with the OHF to recruit and retain more players, officials, and volunteers.

Payette is also thrilled that her OHF appointment means that she will be able to bring forth some cultural diversity to the board.

“There is a voice now that will be supportive at that level,” she said.

Payette had originally been nominated to serve on the OHF board in 2021. But she was not one of the new directors named a year ago. Payette said she then was recently contacted by a member of the OHF’s nominating committee to see if she was interested to have her name stand as a possible new director this year.

After agreeing to do so, Payette was interviewed via Zoom and then told she was one of our nominees being considered for director posts.

Since four new board positions were up for grabs, Payette realized she would be joining the board.

Her appointment became official during the OHF’s annual general meeting, which was staged at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel.

“It was just a formality of going to the AGM to accept the position,” Payette said.

Besides serving as an OHF board member, Payette is also expected to be selected to join some of the federation’s committees.

A process is underway to determine which committees the new board members will be best suited for.

Payette is looking forward to working with the OHF.

“I think I have a good foundation of grassroots hockey and a good knowledge of how things are run,” she said.

Payette’s involvement in hockey began almost 30 years ago. She took on the secretary role with the Manitoulin Minor Hockey Association back in 1994.

“They were having some troubles getting people involved,” Payette said of her decision to assist the local association at the time.

Now that she’s a board member with the OHF, Payette will be required to attend four in-person meetings per year in Toronto. She’ll also have at least a half dozen other online meetings. The number of meetings she’ll have to attend will increase once Payette finds out which OHF committees she’ll join.

“It’s going to be a learning process for me as well,” she said.