Ridley College participates in Hockey Cares cultural exchange initiative with Kugaaruk, Nunavut

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — Ridley College is participating in the Hockey Cares initiative by hosting a visiting hockey team from Kugaaruk, Nunavut, over the February long weekend.

The visit brings together youth from Canada’s North and South through a shared love of hockey and learning. Fifteen Ridley College student-athletes will take part in the exchange, along with Ridley parents and teachers who will serve as hosts and mentors throughout.

Hockey Cares is a national cultural exchange program that connects Indigenous youth from northern communities with students in southern Canada. The program aims to foster positive relationships, expand educational and career awareness and support youth wellbeing. One of its key objectives is to help reduce isolation and address youth mental health challenges, including high rates of teen suicide in northern communities, by creating new opportunities and pathways.

For many of the players visiting from Nunavut, the trip to St. Catharines will be their first experience travelling south.

While in Niagara, participants will take part in hockey activities, school and community experiences, and discussions focused on future opportunities. Program highlights include building relationships with teammates and host families, exploring postsecondary options with an emphasis on careers in the skilled trades and experiencing life in a new community.

“There is so much to learn from this experience for all of these kids,” says James Steward, Service Learning Coordinator at Ridley College. “This exchange is about hockey, but more importantly, it’s about connection, understanding and opening doors for young people.”

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Media Contact 

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:  

Melissa Stephens  

Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing   

Ridley College  

Phone: (905) 684-1889 x2210  

Email: [email protected]   

Website: www.ridleycollege.com   

About Ridley College

Ridley College is an independent day and boarding school located in St. Catharines. It is one of Canada’s oldest independent schools, representing over 60 countries in its student body of approximately 840 students from JK to Grade 12. Ridley College is a leader in positive education and wellbeing education, teaching the habits of mind, body and spirit so that students are primed to flourish — now and long after graduation. The school’s motto, “Terar Dum Prosim,” meaning, ‘May I be consumed in service,’ links human flourishing to contributing to the lives of others. 

About Hockey Cares

Hockey Cares is a cultural exchange program of True North Aid, a Canadian registered charity that supports northern Indigenous communities through practical, community‑driven initiatives. The program connects Indigenous and non‑Indigenous youth through a shared love of hockey, giving participants the chance to play the sport, build friendships and learn from life in one another’s communities. Guided by an Indigenous Advisory Committee and Elders, True North Aid works alongside communities to promote reconciliation, strengthen relationships and help address ongoing inequities in the North.