Canucks For Kids Help Newcomers to Canada Participate In Hockey, ‘Full Circle’ Moment for Hockey 4 Youth Founder 

Canucks For Kids hosted a group of 20 Surrey School students at Rogers Arena – a big deal for the girls who’ve only been playing hockey for three weeks.

As they took the ice, there were slips and falls, some were a little wobbly, but there’s a lot of camaraderie in the group, encouraging each other to keep going.

Hockey 4 Youth, in partnership with the Canucks For Kids Fund and with the help of the Surrey City School Board and Surrey RCMP, is assisting girls in the Surrey School District who are newcomers to Canada get involved in hockey and flourish in their new country.

Founder of Hockey 4 Youth, Moezine Hasham, is the son of immigrant parents from Uganda and the youngest of four kids. Hasham was born in Vancouver and started playing hockey at six years old, given his first set of equipment by their neighbour. Being able to participate in the sport helped him feel included and accepted amongst his peers. The game’s done a lot for him and it’s always been his goal to give back to the community where he grew up.

“It's full circle. It's all about being able to give back and we couldn't have done it without the Canucks for Kids Fund, we couldn’t have done it without Rob [Rai, Surrey School District] and this is one of six programs that we're going to start in the province,” Hasham said, mentioning the launch of their next program in Vernon.

“We want newcomers to feel connected to their communities. We want to help them with their English literacy and help them develop friendships,” Hasham said.

The program includes ice time for practices every week and includes outfitting all the participants with their own equipment. The Surrey RCMP also provide a community/youth engagement van to transport all the gear to and from the rink.

With the Surrey RCMP Youth Unit, Corporal Jacob Cheung assists with running skating and hockey drills and helps them overcome that initial fear of stepping on the ice.

“It’s been a great experience being involved with this program from the early stages,” Cheung said, adding, “I am so impressed by the courage, enthusiasm, and maturity they have all demonstrated in embracing this new sport.”

Some of the girls that participate in Hockey 4 Youth have brothers and cousins that have played hockey, but a lot of them are the first girls in their families to take up the sport.

Thuraiyah Kabagamb is a Grade 12 student at Princess Margaret Secondary who came to Canada from Uganda when she was eight years old. She skated in elementary school on field trips and jumped at the chance to try hockey.

Three weeks into the program, she said it’s been a great way to meet new friends and she was excited to take the ice where the Vancouver Canucks’ play.

“It just felt like ‘Wow!’ I get this opportunity that not a lot of people do,” Kabagamb said with excitement. “I go to school with most of the girls, but I never really talked to them before. I like getting to know each one of them and having fun.”

Samira Youssouf, 15, was born in Vancouver and has loved hockey since she could walk, but never had the chance to play.

“Hockey was one of my first words. Every time my grandpa would put hockey on the television I would be cheering ‘Hockey Hockey’,” Youssouf said.

She’s skated on field trips and with her family, and she said getting dressed was almost the biggest part of the adventure the first time she took the ice, mentioning it took the group between half an hour to gear up. She feels like she’s already improved so much over the last few weeks.

“I'm loving it,” she said. “I wake up on Monday and I’m so excited for practice. I’m so excited for this skate at Rogers. I'm really happy that I have this opportunity,” Youssouf said.

Hockey 4 Youth Foundation started in Toronto by Hasham in 2015 started at Marc Garneau Collegiate. The group has worked with 700 kids, representing 41 countries and a motto that “The Only Barrier Should Be The Boards.” According to the Institute of Canadian Citizenship, 71% of newcomers express an interest in hockey but only 1% will have the opportunity to play.

Hockey 4 Youth is a holistic approach to a child’s life also providing an off-ice program called T.E.A.C.H. (technology, entrepreneurship, community giving, and healthy active living) focusing on life skills.

“If one of our girls says ‘I want to grow up and be an accountant’ well, we're going to help build that pathway for them off the ice. This is really that first step for them, and our relationship with them is like a family, we see it all the way through,” Hasham said.

The group works with the NHL, Players Association, and a number of NHL teams as well.