By: JENNIFER DUNVILLE
FREDERICTON – The Ted Nolan Foundation and Tim Horton Children’s Foundation have teamed up to provide 42 New Brunswick aboriginal children with an unforgettable experience.
The youths, ages 11-15, were invited to participate in a unique leadership camp as part of a five-year partnership between the two foundations.
The students, who were selected by School District 18 principals and teachers, left for the five-day camp at the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Camp in Tatamagouche, N.S., yesterday morning.
While there, they will learn leadership skills, teamwork and independence through activities such as archery and kayaking.
They will also have an opportunity to learn the traditional teachings of their aboriginal culture.
They will return to New Brunswick on Friday.
“I can’t wait to get going,” said 13-year-old Greg Francis as he stood outside of the Tim Hortons camp bus waiting to leave for Tatamagouche.
“I’ve never been able to do anything like this before, and I think it’s a great opportunity to be invited. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The parking lot of the St. Mary’s First Nation Band Office was buzzing with activity yesterday morning as the 42 students stood with their pillows, backpacks and pajamas talking about the upcoming trip.
They were joined by their parents, principals, members of the community and representatives from the two foundations.
Ted Nolan, founder of the Ted Nolan Foundation, posed for photos with many of the students. Nolan is a former NHL player and coach. He was coach of the year in 1996-97 with the Buffalo Sabres.
He was also coach of the Moncton Wildcats.
“I had some people over the years that made a big difference in my life, so I’m just hoping that this will make a positive influence over these students and perhaps, be a life-changing experience,” Nolan said.
“We’re a small foundation without much staff or a board of directors and my wife does most of the work behind the scenes, so it’s a lot of hard work to pull off something like this. But it’s all worth it, just seeing those kids hopping on the bus – especially since when we called to tell them they’d be going many got emotional.
“I know it means a lot to them and I truly hope it’s an unforgettable experience for each and every one of them.”
Nolan, who was born on the Garden River Ojibwa First Nation Reserve outside of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., started the foundation after his mother was killed in a drunk-driving accident when he was 20 years old.
He said she was culturally and community minded and felt education was of the upmost importance, so when he decided to honour her by creating the foundation he focused on helping aboriginal women and youth through scholarships.
“This more recent idea grew after I met a Tim Hortons representative through a mutual friend and we discovered that many of our goals were the same,” he said. “We decided to team up for this project in northern Ontario first where we sent 50 kids to camp last year and are sending 100 this year.
“And now, for the first time in Atlantic Canada, we’re sending about 50 youth from here.”
Dorothy Cousins, general manager for the Tim Hortons Tatamagouche camp, was excited to see the children off yesterday.
She said she expects they will have a lot of fun.
“The focus of the two foundations is to help our youth, give them opportunities they can apply to their lives, and help build their confidence and leadership skills. I think we’re able to meet those goals by partnering to send them to camp,” she said.
“The camp, which is about 250 acres, is located on the Northumberland Strait. The students will get to do an adventure course and archery and many other activities while there. It will be a fantastic experience for them.
“The commitment we’ve made with the Ted Nolan Foundation is to do this for the next five years, so it’s an exciting thing to think of all the lives we will touch as a result.”
Joni Perley, a parent of one of the students selected for the camp, said her son was excited all week.
She said she can’t thank the foundations enough for giving her son the experience.
“I’m a mother of three with my youngest being three months old, so I’m very busy and haven’t been able to give him this opportunity before,” she said.
“He was so excited he wouldn’t stop talking and packing. I think I was doing laundry for him until midnight (Sunday). He could hardly sleep and was up early to make sure we didn’t oversleep.
“I remember what it’s like to go to camp, so I’m really excited for him too. I don’t know how to thank the foundations for making this happen. It’s just a great opportunity.”
Nolan said it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of business leaders, community members and many organizations from across the province.
“Tim Hortons has really stepped up and we’ve had help from Mr. Robert Irving and the Moncton Wildcats, for example,” he said.
“We also raised quite a bit of money at our annual general meeting in Moncton. It’s with the generosity of others we’ve been able to do this for these New Brunswick children.”
The students said goodbye at 9 a.m. yesterday and boarded the bus via a red carpet while the Muskrat Singers pounded out the travelling song on a drum.
The students were accompanied on the bus by four Tim Hortons councillors and two chaperones.
thank you so much for letting me go to the leadership camp in N.S. tatamagouce it was really fun and i met a lot of new people