“I didn’t know how happy hockey would make me when I [first] tried it. I feel like it’s one of the most positive things that ever happened to me.”
— Abrar, Toronto high school student, new Canadian from Syria
“I want to feel like a Canadian. In Africa, we don’t have [hockey]. It’s amazing. I want to try it.”
— Beatrice, 17, new Canadian from Congo
“When I went into the changeroom, I saw girls from all over the world. That was kind of relieving because I didn’t feel like an outsider. I was like, ‘Oh, I belong with them.’ We were all beginners.”
— Omiya, 18, new Canadian from Dubai
The first time I went [on the ice], I thought ‘I know nothing, I’m probably going to quit on the first day.’ It feels really awkward when you’re born and raised in a separate country, and you’re trying to be more comfortable but you don’t know how, and then suddenly someone comes and they are like, ‘We are with you, we are going to help you.’
— Javeria, 18, new Canadian from Pakistan
Other than having a chair, I could just be there, hold them up and teach them how to skate. I didn’t have that when I was a kid, and I wish that I did.
— Former Montreal Canadiens player, Georges Laraque
Playing [with Hockey 4 Youth] gave me more of a boost to play it because it was right in front of me and they encouraged us so much to do it.
— Amanda, Montreal high school student
It’s a new experience that I’ve never tried before. After this I’m going to continue playing and skating.
— Jemila, 16, new Canadian from Mauritania
I used skating as a form of therapy. Whenever I feel lonely or that nobody understands me, I just go skating and the wind in my face feels so freeing. You’re just floating on ice. It’s skating, but it feels like floating. It’s outdoors, so you can just look at the sky.
— Crissha, 18, new Canadian from Philippines
Hockey was my first job in Canada. I’m proud to say that after two years of playing, I was able to coach 50 young kids that skated for the first time in their lives.
— Khaled, new Canadian from Syria
I’m going to fall, but it’s good. I’m going to try.
— Ahmad, 14, new Canadian from Syria
It helped me understand that in life, sometimes you fall, sometimes you don’t get the results you want. That’s why you have to work harder each day. Sometimes, even after you work hard, you’ll still fall. But you gotta learn that you can’t give up. You worked so hard and you want to give up that easy? You gotta get back up.
— Amir, 17, new Canadian from Saudi Arabia
It’s hard to play hockey, but I said to myself that it’ll be fun. I never thought girls could play hockey.
— Marwa, 16, new Canadian from Afghanistan
