SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Women's Hockey in Canada

Honourable senators, as Canadians and others around the world get all heated up watching hockey players Shane and Ilya in the brilliant new “Heated Rivalry” gay romance series, I want to speak today to another story of fire on ice: the story of Anne, Violetta, Ashley, Blayre, Jill, Mae, Carly, Allie, Kendall, Brianne, Diana, Marie-Philip and Shauna — the story of girls’ and women’s hockey in Canada.

When I was young, my family all faithfully watched “Hockey Night in Canada” on winter Wednesday nights. Most of us cheered on the Montreal Canadiens — no Senators back then. My brothers played hockey because that is what boys did.

And remarkably, my younger sister, Anne Patterson, was the first girl I ever knew to play hockey. She and the other girls played in a neighbourhood league in their white figure skates, used jerseys and without any protective equipment.

Here we are more than 50 years later, in the midst of an explosion of opportunities and excitement over girls’ and women’s hockey at the local, national and international levels. Yes, colleagues, girls have finally broken through the ice ceiling.

Over the holidays, I got to watch my eight-year-old granddaughter Violetta play her little heart out with her U9 Whitecaps girls hockey team, coached by Ashley MacInnis in Antigonish.

Violetta had really caught fire after she had watched her first PWHL game in Halifax last month, where the Ottawa Charge topped the Boston Fleet in a 2 to 1 shootout game. She created a large sign cheering on Ottawa player Brianne Jenner.

We are all proud to have our fellow Nova Scotians playing in the PWHL: Blayre Turnbull, Jill Saulnier, Mae Batherson, Carly Jackson and Allie Munroe.

Violetta’s hockey passion, motivation and skills also went up several notches when she watched Boylston, Nova Scotia, native Kendall Doiron play in the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship hosted in Membertou. She even got to skate with her in Guysborough after the series.

Diana Fox Carney was recently in Nova Scotia, lacing up with the Cape Breton University women’s hockey team.

Hockey is good for girls’ health and well-being. It teaches important life lessons, like hard work, discipline and teamwork. Violetta’s Whitecaps team are also learning important lessons about empathy and community as they participate in the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser for our local Naomi Society.

Colleagues, please join me in cheering on Canada’s Olympic women’s hockey team, captained by the Montréal Victoire’s Marie-Philip Poulin, as well as all who represent us in Milano-Cortina, including Nova Scotia referee Shauna Neary.

Canada and especially young girls like Violetta are so proud of you.