The Nelson Police Department wants to host a youth street hockey program this spring.
The police board voted to provide $2,500 from the Nelson Police Foundation to support bringing the NHL Street program to the community.
NHL Street, according to its website, is the NHL’s official youth hockey street league. It aims to create an affordable, neighbourhood-based model that gives kids anywhere an opportunity to learn and play.
Operators receive resources, guidance, and support to easily provide programming that keeps families coming back season after season.
Inspector Jason Jewkes is spearheading the partnership. He told the board the program would introduce street hockey to kids aged six to 12 and help make the sport more accessible.
The funding would be used to purchase equipment that could be used again in following years. It would also significantly reduce participant fees.
“This would allow the fees to go from approximately $100 down to $25. So it would make it accessible to most people in the community,” Jewkes said.
Board members supported the initiative, but Devon Caron asked Jewkes to also ensure a barrier-free option is available for families who cannot afford to play.
“I would really like to see some barrier-free pricing, like actually no cost,” Caron said.
“If we’re going to approve a grant from the police foundation, that’s kind of my only thing. I know that $25 is less than $100, but if we’re going to run this kind of program, there should be a shame-free option for people to pay nothing.”
Jewkes was also asked about the gender composition among the kids participating.
He said he hopes it will be 50-50 but admitted it is likely to be more male-dominated.
“I’m hoping it’s 50-50, but it’s probably going to be more male-dominated, I would say. But the hope is this is the introduction to hockey,” he said. “I’m hoping the accessibility of it with a lower price or a zero price will make it inclusive to everybody.”
Jewkes said the goal is to introduce kids to hockey through street play, with the hope that some participants will later move into organized ice hockey programs.
He added that organizers are also hoping to involve former professional hockey players to lead the program alongside himself.
“I’m still working on that with NHL Street. They have done that in other communities where there are NHL players in town. That’s my hope, and they coordinate that for you. So I’m hoping that works out.”
He is hoping to run the program during the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June, before the summer season begins.
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