Honouring National Day For Truth And Reconciliation, September 30

Article by viaSport


On September 30, individuals and communities will be honouring Orange Shirt Day, as well as the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Collectively, we are marking this important occasion by encouraging members of the sport, physical activity, and recreation sectors to actively participate in this day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The individual and collective journeys of Truth and Reconciliation are enduring. It isn’t a destination, but rather a lifelong path of reflection, learning, and understanding. Accordingly, we are inviting everyone within the sport, physical activity, and recreation sector to make a personal and/or organizational commitment to reconciliation.

What is Orange Shirt Day?

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led commemorative day which officially started in 2013 as a way to honour Indigenous children and educate Canadians about the harmful impact the residential school system had and continues to have on Indigenous peoples and communities. It is “a day that we honour all the children who survived residential schools, as well as honour and recognize those who did not return,” said Brenda Gunn, academic and research director at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

The origins of Orange Shirt Day date back to 1973 when Phyllis Webstad of Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School, outside of Williams Lake, B.C. Phyllis, who was six years old at the time, was wearing the brand new orange shirt her grandmother bought for her to wear for her first day of school. Upon arrival, she was stripped of her clothing and had to put on her school’s institutional uniform; her orange shirt was gone forever. Phyllis, like countless others, felt like no one cared. Her experience with residential school led Phyllis to champion Orange Shirt Day and the “Every Child Matters” movement. Learn more here.

What is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

In June 2021, the federal government announced that September 30, 2021 would mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Creating a federal holiday was one of the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in 2015. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action outlines 94 specific recommendations made in order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of reconciliation in Canada.

There are five Calls to Action that directly relate to sport. Sports and Reconciliation Calls to Action #87 to #91 can be found on page 20 of the report. Review the five Sports and Reconciliation Calls to Action below:

87. We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.

88. We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel.

89. We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.

90. We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not limited to, establishing:

    1. In collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of Aboriginal peoples.
    2. An elite athlete development program for Aboriginal athletes.
    3. Programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officials that are culturally relevant for Aboriginal peoples.
    4. Anti-racism awareness and training programs.

91. We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events.

Further information on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is available here.

Field Hockey BC is seeking coaches for our Schools Program

Field Hockey BC is seeking coaches for our Schools Program, which is designed to introduce the sport to elementary and middle school children. Each program takes place in a school, during school hours, over the course of 3-6 weeks.

Coaches will be paid $25/hour. To be hired, coaches must have weekday availability and submit a Criminal Record Check. 

Over $1000 raised in honour of Pat Hall’s contributions

Originally posted on the Vancouver Island Ladies Field Hockey Association  website


On Sept. 17, a small group of the Vancouver Island field hockey community gathered to have a belated celebration of Pat Hall’s 2020 induction into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.

Read more: https://gvshof.ca/inductees-2/all-inductees/11-builders/336-pat-hall-2020.html

The evening featured an impressive display of articles, photos and memorabilia spanning Pat’s involvement in field hockey. Long time friend Shelley Andrews, who was coached by Hall at Oak Bay High, emceed the event in entertaining fashion, while an impromptu open mic followed.

Kind words followed from former VILFHA president Denise McGeachy, current Umpires Association President Alison Sweeten, as well as remarks from Anne Batey, Denise Hall and players who have been coached by or played with Pat. It was truly a community evening with representation from all current clubs as well as past members including Craig Wilson, Liz Munn and Ev Sigalet.

VILFHA hosted the event so that all donations and ticket contributions could support the FHBC Pat Hall Officials Development Award. This award is designed to promote the development of Vancouver Island umpires and technical officials. An award of up to $500 will be allocated each year to successful applicants. In order to be eligible for this award, applicants must be a member in good standing with Field Hockey BC and an active official within National, Provincial or Club based programming.

The award was created by VILFHA when Pat retired from a long, long-standing term on the executive.

VILFHA is pleased to announce that $1,160 was raised last night.

Thank you to everyone who contributed in congratulations to Pat!

See photos from the event last night on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/vancouverislandladiesfieldhockey

 

 

FHBC welcomes new Head Provincial Coach and Performance Manager, Patricia Wright-Alexis

Field Hockey BC is delighted to welcome Patricia to the FHBC Staff Team. Patricia will be conducting a full review of the coach and talent identification program delivered through FHBC over the course of the past Spring and Summer before assisting the Society in the identification of coach and athlete centered strategic priorities as part of FHBC’s new six year strategic plan. The FHBC Board and Staff Team look forward to supporting Patricia as she transitions into her new role and we invite community members to reach out to Patricia to welcome her to the fold.

Patricia is a certified FIH Hockey Academy Level 3 Coach with eleven years coaching experience and has been involved in development and strategic planning for field hockey for over eight years. She was the co-captain of her university team (University of Massachusetts, USA), and was selected to the A-10 All-Conference team three of her four years at university. She is a former national player and captain and represented Trinidad and Tobago at the junior and senior levels for fifteen years before retiring and going full time into coaching.

As a coach, she held the position of Development Head Coach at the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board for two years before founding IN Sports Field Hockey Academy with the vision of introducing the sport to non-traditional schools and communities and focusing on development within the 5 – 16 age range. Patricia also coached the female hockey team at the University of the West Indies and was a part of the coaching staff for the Junior Women National team for the last two Junior Pan Am Championships.

Before her career in sports, Patricia worked in the Supply Chain and Logistics field for over six years. She earned her BSc in Business Management (Hons) from the University of Massachusetts and holds a certificate in International Relations. Patricia is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys the outdoors, reading a good book, and spending quality time with her husband and two children.