Hockey community comes together to support victims of Nova Scotia wildfires
It didn’t take long for the gear to pile up at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre on Saturday.
Less than an hour into the fundraiser, many were coming in and dropping off hockey gear for players and families affected by the wildfires in Nova Scotia.
“We had one player bring in three sets of goalie gear. We’ve been getting everything -- rollerblades, skates, sticks, a little bit of everything,” said volunteer Jordan Evasuk-MacDonald.
Evasuk-MacDonald says he’s been in contact with families and players he has coached that have lost everything.
“There are some people that have lost everything and have to start from scratch, so I mean, any little bit we can do to help, hopefully make a difference,” said Evasuk-MacDonald.
It’s not just teams and players from Cape Breton offering to help.
Gear drop-off sites are set up across the province of Nova Scotia, from Yarmouth to Sydney, and the support has been pouring in.
“I was really blown away, but wasn’t overly surprised the way the hockey community has always supported one another. At times, it’s been overwhelming. It’s humbling to see the people that want to get involved,” said organizer Andre Lefebvre.
Lefebvre started the initiative, and so far, he’s heard from people across the country.
The Halifax Mooseheads and Cape Breton Eagles have chipped in. So have the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
“They have some Nova Scotia connections with Drake Batherson and my friend Andrew Gordon is a scout down here for them as well, so they have all kinds of connections in the Maritimes. Again, I’m blown away but not surprised,” said Lefebvre
Gear drop-off locations include all Cleve’s locations in the Halifax Regional Municipality, the South End Community Centre in Sydney until June 16, and the Mariners Centre in Yarmouth between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.