On April 4 I rose in the provincial legislature, and gave the following members statement: Speaker, as we debate whatever it is we are debating today legislation - there is a much more important debate going on. It’s not really a debate, but a competition and that is the SEDMHA hockey tournament. It starts today. I want to wish, in particular, all the teams from the Dartmouth Whalers an excellent tournament. I wanted to take this time to do my annual thank you to the Dartmouth Whalers Hockey Association and all hockey associations in the province. I know we all have our particular ones that we cheer for. I have to say that I spent a lot of time in East Hants this year and Eastern Shore, and usually came out victorious, so that’s fine. In particular, I want to thank the U-13 Sea Orcas coaches and parents, volunteers Neil Fisher, Brian Cormier, Jason Murphy, Katy Mattatall, and Moira Fisher, and the U-11 Huskies: Jean David Paradis, Joe Triff, John Joyce Robinson and Maya Belanger. Thank you to all those parents and volunteers who make hockey so fun for our kids.
Dartmouth High Hockey Food Drive
I gave this members statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature on March 18, 2024:
Mx. Speaker, at the end of February, members of the hockey teams at Dartmouth High School collected food throughout Montebello, Keystone, Crichton Park, and central Dartmouth neighbourhoods for their joint food drive. Together the teams gathered over a full pallet of food plus monetary donations that they donated to the Dartmouth Community Fridge, Margaret’s House, and Feed Nova Scotia. Those who donated were entered into draws for prizes from the Zatzman Sportsplex and downtown Dartmouth Stone Pizza. As the Dartmouth High School Spartans hockey wrote on Facebook - and as I have spoken about many times in this Legislature - food insecurity affects many people in our own community of Dartmouth North and throughout Dartmouth. I am always inspired by the youth of Dartmouth North, and I am especially proud of these Dartmouth High students who are doing their part to end food insecurity.
PWHL Nova Scotia Players
The Professional Women’s Hockey League premiered on January 1, 2024 with a game between Toronto and New York. On that historic New Years day, there were many players from Nova Scotia on the ice, as there has been since. Nova Scotians making her-story in the PWHL include: Toronto players Captain Blayre Turnbull of Stellarton, defender Allie Munroe of Yarmouth, and goaltender Carly Jackson (CJ) of Amherst. Jill Saulnier of Halifax plays forward with New York. As I speak, the PWHL Toronto is actually on an eight game - yes eight game! - winning streak, the longest current winning streak for men’s or women’s professional hockey. Yarmouth’s Allie Munroe also got her first goal of the league on Wednesday night, contributing to the 3-1 win over Boston. Tonight, on International Women’s Day no less - Toronto goes up against the league's current #1 team Montreal, and Montreal’s “Captain Clutch”, Marie-Philip Poulin. I wish all of the Nova Scotian players just the best inaugural season and thank them for being possibility models for all of the young women and gender conforming youth - like my daughter - who play hockey in this province and around the world.