Experience Canada Celebrates First Exchange Group to Travel Since March 2020

OTTAWA, ON, June 30, 2022 /CNW/ - What better way to ring in Canada Day than with Experiences Canada's first in-person group exchange since the pandemic began?  Experiences Canada is thrilled to announce a return to in-person reciprocal exchanges. What could be more Canadian than an exchange that centres around hockey?

In partnership with Attawapiskat First Nation and Oakville, Ontario-based Hockey Cares, 30 youth between the ages of 12 and 18 will participate in the exchange.  The first part will take place from June 30^th-July 5^th as 15 youth from Attawapiskat travel to meet their twin group in Oakville. During their stay in Oakville, youth will be involved in a hockey skills competition as well as play in a tournament.  When they are not on the ice, they will have an opportunity visit local sites, experience Canada Day Fireworks, and take in a Toronto Rock Lacrosse game.

Hockey Cares founder Sue Heddle is excited the youth are finally able to travel and play hockey together again. "It's been a long two years with the kids in Attawapiskat missing out on playing hockey. Everyone in Oakville is excited to have them back. Oakville is raising the Attawapiskat flag over town hall while their players are here, Olympian Sami Jo Small coming to give them skills and drills and we are focusing on showing all of the youth opportunities in the trades. The most important thing to me is the friendships that will develop between the Attawapiskat youth and Oakville youth. By playing together we learn from each other," Heddle said. 

Steve Kataquapit, the group organizer in Attiwapiskat First Nation couldn't agree more.  "We are building and important nation-to-nation relationship through these exchanges."

In November, the Oakville group will travel to Attawapiskat where there will be more hockey, but the whole community gets involved in supporting the youth as they also participate in traditional activities such as hunting and fishing.

This is the fourth exchange that these two groups have taken part in, involving different youth each year and strengthening the relationships between their communities. The exchange began as an idea to connect two hockey teams, but has evolved to include cross-cultural learning components for all 30 youth taking part in the exchange. Experiences Canada, with the generous support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and other private funders covers the cost of all travel between the two communities and participating groups are responsible for the costs of hosting in their communities.

"This event is just another reminder of how valuable these opportunities for youth to connect can be – especially after being unable to do so for so long, said Jamie McCullough, Director of Programs for Experiences Canada. "Attawapiskat is a fly-in community and has been largely isolated during the pandemic.  Oakville youth have the rare opportunity to learn first-hand about Indigenous culture and community living.  We can only imagine their excitement to travel, play some hockey, and learn more about each other."   

Follow Experiences Canada on social media to stay up to date with the Exchange and to experience some Canada Day fun! Twitter @ExperiencesCAN  Facebook @experiencescanada

Experiences Canada is a national registered charity that helps nearly 5,000 young Canadians each year to explore their country in ways they never may have imagined through reciprocal exchanges, forums, conferences and other opportunities to connect with one another. For 86 years, Experiences Canada has opened young people's minds and involved them in a broader world. We offer transformative learning opportunities accessible to youth across Canada – creating fun, safe, memorable experiences that deepen their connection to their community and their country, enrich personal relationships, and build confidence and skills

SOURCE Experiences Canada

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