Some girls of Princess Margaret Secondary in Surrey laced up skates and hit the ice with former Vancouver Canucks forward Darcy Rota on Nov. 20.
The session at North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex was a launch event in B.C. for Hockey 4 Youth, a Canada-wide program that aims to make hockey accessible to all.
Selected to take part were girls from diverse backgrounds, including many with little or no experience playing hockey.
With participants hailing from India, Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan and Liberia, the Surrey launch event served as an introduction to Canada’s favourite game.
The program is set to run weekly until April and will include a skate session at Rogers Arena in December.
Equipment, transportation, ice time and training are provided to those who may otherwise face barriers playing the sport.
“This is just fantastic for young ladies to learn the game of hockey, to have the chance to play,” Rota said in a news release posted on Surrey Schools’ website.
“On behalf of the Canucks and the Canucks Kids Foundation, it’s an honour to be here and help continue the growth of hockey,” added the former NHLer, who sits on the board of Canucks for Kids Fund.
Program partners are Hockey 4 Youth Foundation, Surrey Schools, City of Surrey, Surrey RCMP and Canucks for Kids Fund.
“Right now, what we’re seeing is that one-third of girls will drop out of sports in their teenage years,” said Moezine Hasham, Hockey 4 Youth founder.
“When you think about newcomer girls or girls of diverse backgrounds, they might not have had any experience in sport at all, so it’s really important that we provide these opportunities to them.”
For Grade 11 student Aya Mohammad, the chance to get on the ice was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“I’ve watched a bit of hockey, and I joined up because I want to learn how to skate and stop,” she said. “I want to learn how to skate fast and learn more about the sport with my friends. It’s something new and I’m excited to try it out.”
The launch of Hockey 4 Youth’s Surrey program also marks the B.C. debut for the Ontario-based charity.
It’s also a homecoming for Hasham.
“Being a B.C boy myself, now standing here next to Darcy Rota, who I would have seen play as a young kid and growing up here to refugee parents, this is truly an honour for me on a personal level,” Hasham said.
“I started this foundation in Toronto, but the goal was always to get back here to give back to the community and it’s really come full-circle thanks to all of these incredible partners.”