Our Nations Heroes Hockey Game sponsored by the Portraits of Honour Foundation was a success in Kingston over the weekend.
It was a fun gaming against Our Nations Heroes made up of soldiers, veterans and civilian first responders going against the Montreal Canadians Alumni at the Leon’s Centre on Sunday, October 28, 2018.
The Canadians Alumni won the game, but that was almost secondary to the smiles and laughter of everyone in attendance.
There were also numerous displays around the concourse dealing with anyone in the military who was in need of assistance and charity organizations.
The Honorary Colonel of the Military Police Academy, Nancy Siew, Mother of Fallen Soldier, Cletus Cheng dropped the puck with Military Police Detachment Commander Lt Cindy Cote and incoming Kingston Chief of Police Antje McNeely.
When the final buzzer sounded at the end of the game, the players lined up to shake hands, then dignitaries including Deputy Minister, Veterans Affairs Canada and former Chief of Defence Staff General (retired) Walter Natynczyk and families of fallen soldiers including Ron and Diane Knight, Richard and Clare Leger, Tara Dawe and her son Lucas lined up for a special ceremony.
Lucas Dawe, the son of fallen soldier Captain Matthew Dawe along with Capt. Dawe’s brother James skated the Highway of Heroes Adoption Four One Hundred & Fifty Eight in Honour of Major Michelle Knight Mendes Memorial out onto the ice where it was unveiled.
After the ceremony Natynczyk spoke to Today’s Northumberland about the game and ceremony saying, “it was an incredibly emotional time.”
“It was an entertaining time, but all coming together to honour those who serve, our fallen comrades and families of the fallen.”
“The Montreal Canadians alumni are not only extraordinary athletes and sportsmen, but they are real gentlemen with caring hearts, but they are mischievous at the same time,” referring to a number of antics throughout the game.
When Natynczyk got a closer look at the Memorial globe and could see the detail from metal artist Shawn Donnan he was astounded at the workmanship that encompasses the artwork telling the story of the Highway of Heroes.
“It’s an extraordinary masterpiece dedicated to our fallen and those men and women who still serve.”
Natynczyk said the Highway of Heroes is an “outpouring of emotion, pride and grief where Canadians came out in the middle of the day, in the middle of the night, in snow, sunny hot days, pouring rain they showed up right from the outside wire of Canadian Forces Base Trenton to everyone of those overpasses into Toronto to show the grief of those families and appreciation of service was shared by Canadians and as Canadians we stand stronger together – united supporting those men and women who serve.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
