In a gesture of acknowledgement for and solidarity with the Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation, the club is appealing to the public's generosity in collecting pairs of new or lightly-used shoes for children and adolescents that will be donated to area organizations that work with Indigenous communities. The organization is partnering with the First Nations Education Council to arrange the distribution.
For two days starting Friday, June 4, the team invites the public to drop off their shoe donations at the Tricolore Sports Bell Centre flagship store, located at 1275 St. Antoine Street West, level 2, by the Lucien L'Allier train terminal. The store is open from 10:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. on Friday and from 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. All donors are encouraged to include their name and phone number on a slip of paper inside each pair of shoes, as one lucky fan will win an official Canadiens jersey signed by Carey Price.
"We're proud to associate with the Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation to honor the memory of the 215 children whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, in Tk'emlúps, British Columbia," said Denis Gros-Louis, General Director of the First Nations Education Council. "These residential schools have a history in Quebec, as well, and I'd like to thank the Canadiens organization for this gesture that will help serve as a balm to heal the awakening of some profoundly deep emotional wounds. Beyond this initiative, the club has expressed a desire to help bring about important societal change and build bridges with various First Nations communities. In Carey Price, the Canadiens count on their roster one of the greatest ambassadors for First Nations people in all of hockey. We should all be proud of our identity, our culture, our language and our traditions. Together we should celebrate the amazing diversity that we represent. Every action counts. Tiawenhk, Wliwni, Niáwen, Migwetc, Wela'lin, Tshinishkumitin, Woliwon , ᒋᓂsᑯᒥᑎn᙮ - thank you."
Additional details and features related to the club's involvement in National Indigenous History Month will be unveiled throughout June on the team's Web site, canadiens.com.
