Official Languages Committee on May 3rd, 2007

[Bob Nicholson]

I certainly respect your comments, but I'm not sure if you have a real feel for the other 22 players on the team. A real captain isn't only named by the coach or by the general manager or the assistant general manager back through to the president of Hockey Canada. A true leader is one who is respected by his 22 teammates. I can tell you very clearly that the other 22 players who are putting on the Canadian jersey feel there is only one captain for Team Canada, and that is what a leader is in a game of hockey.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

But...

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you, Mr. Nicholson.

Your time has expired, unfortunately, Mr. Malo.

The next question will be from Ms. Boucher.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

My question is for Mr. Nicholson. With respect to the appointment of Mr. Doan as captain, have you heard any negative comments from other members of the team? Or were they in agreement with your decision and did they feel, as you have explained to us, that he was the best leader for the team?

[Bob Nicholson]

The comments coming out of Russia are very, very clear. If any of you have been watching the games—and Canada is 3-0 at this time, which we're proud of, though it's only a first step, and there are many more difficult games ahead of us—all of the comments have been positive. But it's not just that he's leading this team, it's also his character, and what he does in the communities where he plays, the children he touches, the Christian school that he works in during the summertime when he's not involved in the game of hockey. Hockey is a way Shane Doan has used to touch people, to make people better as individuals, and that's why you have to get to know Shane Doan. We have special people in this country, and I can honestly tell you that for the 14 years I've known Shane Doan, I've never heard him say a negative word about anyone, and that's very unusual—very unusual—but he is one of those people. And for his teammates over there, if he wasn't their captain, I'm not sure we'd have a team.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Nicholson.

You still have three minutes, if you want them.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I will share my time with Mr. Chong. Do you have anything to say, Mr. Chong?

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Mr. Chong, you have the floor.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Merci, monsieur le président.

I want to focus a little bit on the fact you've done so much as a national sport organization to really be at the forefront of encouraging diversity, of encouraging persons with a disability. For example, you took on sledge hockey a number of years ago, with the encouragement of Sport Canada, which has turned out to be a huge international success and put us at the forefront of the Paralympics and sport for persons with a disability. I think you're to be commended for that. You've also been a leader in women's hockey, in promoting girls' and women's participation throughout Canada in our national game. Also, I know that when it comes to the ranking of the 60 or so national sport organizations, Hockey Canada ranks near the top in terms of conformity with the policy on official languages.

Maybe you could tell a little bit about the initiatives you've undertaken in this regard.

[Bob Nicholson]

Again, thank you.

We are very proud, as I stated. Tom Scrimger came to Hockey Canada and said to me, will you take sledge under your wing? We had to work through our members, because of the dollars that would be spent on it. The proudest moment in my life, as president of Hockey Canada, wasn't in Salt Lake City when we won back to back gold medals, but in Torino, in the dressing room with the sledge hockey team. And I can say, with the commitment they have made, they've gone through some very tough times in their lives. When I went into the room, it was special. It was special when we had Wayne Gretzky call them just before they went onto the ice for the gold medal game. Pat Quinn talked to their coach. We used every possible person to make sure they, in sledge hockey, felt they were equal. When we gave out the rings that summer to our junior team, to our women's Olympic team, the sledge team got the same rings and felt they were equal in the sport of hockey.

Tom, I thank you for bringing that to us. We're going to continue to do that. We're going to try to win three gold medals in Vancouver, and sledge hockey will be a big, big part of it.

The one issue that sits in front of us—and I have to take a couple of seconds to get this out—please put on all of your agendas that the biggest obstacle in the game of hockey is rinks and facilities. We need to upgrade our rinks; we need new facilities. If we don't, kids aren't going to be able to play this game of hockey. I know you have so many important things on your agenda, but please make sure that's part of them as you go forward here. We all need them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you very much, Mr. Nicholson.

The last question will be from Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to end off by thanking the representatives from Hockey Canada and Sport Canada for appearing before our committee. I want you to know that we are not and do not want to be in the penalty box. We are taking our responsibility as parliamentarians. Questions have been asked; we will see what comes out of it. Let us hope that Canada comes back with a gold medal and that you, Mr. Nicholson, go back with all the courage possible to get this team to the top of the podium.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you very much, Mr. Godin.

I should say to all the officials who came to our committee on such short notice, I have the utmost respect for you--especially you, Mr. Nicholson, when you should be in Russia--and the fact that you are here with us. The whole reason--

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Yes.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair. I have a motion in this regard. Yes, I'm sure it will have unanimous consent. It should not be a problem.

Just so the message is clear, going back to the team, I'd like to put forward the following motion:

That this Committee supports Team Canada, is proud of the Team's 3-0 record and hopes they bring home the World Championship.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

May I have a seconder for that motion?

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Yes, I'll second that.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you very much.

On a personal note, I must tell you all--to Mr. Nicholson, especially--I started playing hockey at four years of age, and I continue to play hockey to this day. I derive an enormous amount of....

Please keep up the good work you're doing, and go, Canada, go.

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.