A ceremonial puck drop, a little music and custom jerseys are all in the mix for the Fort Frances Lakers’ Treaty Night, set for Friday at the Memorial Sports Centre.
A ceremonial puck drop with representatives of Treaty 3 First Nations and a performance by the Rainy Lake Singers will precede the Lakers’ game against the Kam River Fighting Walleye. The Lakers will be wearing custom jerseys that will be available for purchase via silent auction.
The event, in partnership with Seven Generations Education Institute, is in recognition of Treaty 3’s 150th anniversary. Treaty 3 territory comprises much of Northwestern Ontario and a small portion of southeastern Manitoba.
It’s important for the hockey club to honour the treaty and recognize the support of First Nations communities in the area, Lakers general manager Luke Judson said.
“It’s definitely a priority that we made as a staff, to make sure that we’re building those inroads with First Nations, with businesses, with schools. And, obviously the local communities are a big part of that,” he said.
The Lakers’ home opener last week against the Walleyes “had some of the best attendance we’ve had here in years,” Judson said. “I think we had about 700 people for our Orange Shirt Day. We had a lot of First Nation support for that.”
Seven Generations Education Institute CEO Brent Tookenay said the organization is partnering with the Lakers because “we hope to raise awareness of the treaty relationship for everyone and to inspire action toward honouring the treaty.”
The SIJHL game starts at 7:10 p.m.
