Mr. Speaker, last month, in Winnipeg, 17 children aged 11 to 14 came to visit us from the Canada Israel Hockey School. They faced off with the Winnipeg South Centre-based Corydon Comets. Five of these children were Arab, 12 of these children were Jewish. The teams met not only to improve their hockey skills, but also to just get to know each other.
This hockey initiative was organized by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, in conjunction with the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University and the Canada Israel Hockey School, which is most generously funded by Sidney Greenberg. I had the opportunity to meet with Michael Mazeika, a Canadian who is the head coach of the Canada Israel Hockey School in Metula, Israel. His efforts have helped the youth improve their hockey skills on the ice and their cultural acceptance of one another off the ice.
I would like to commend the organizers of this event and also to let my colleagues know that CIJA will be taking a group of students from Norway House Cree Nation to the Canada Israel Hockey School in Metula next month.
Long may this cultural collaboration continue.