WAYCOBAH FIRST NATION -- Eighteen-year-old Logan Prosper's minor hockey career has come to an end, but he says his years on the ice were filled with racist comments.
"They would tell me I'm a dirty native, go back to my reserve -- all relatively the same type of slur," Prosper said.
While playing in Cape Breton's under-18 AA league two years ago, Prosper says there was one comment that made him stop and say enough is enough.
"When they said all natives look like turds, that's when I had to put my foot down because they were coming up with new slurs," Prosper said.
After going public, Prosper received messages of support from across the country, with players taping their sticks red as gesture of support, and a rallying cry against racism in the sport.
Prosper also filed a complaint with Hockey Nova Scotia, who started a diversity and inclusion task force to acknowledge racism and discrimination.
"We're hearing it internationally, nationally, and locally," said Amy Walsh, Hockey Nova Scotia's executive director. "For us, it was about acknowledging that fact and turning to action."
Recommendations in the report also cover areas such as cost, structure, visibility, education, off-ice issues, programming, and accessibility.
Hockey Nova Scotia says they heard from 841 people in the province who shared their stories and submitted solutions for improving the game.
"We're dealing for the most part with young or developing youth, both boys and girls," said Dean Smith, the diversity and inclusion task force chair. "Restorative principles and an educational element is important. This is a teaching moment for many who are growing up in this game."
Prosper says it's all a step in the right direction, if it means making a difference -- for everyone -- in the game he loves.
