Camp to honour 'selfless and generous' Nova Scotian who died in boating accident

A basketball camp beginning Monday evening in Halifax will honour the life of a former Nova Scotia basketball player who lost his life this spring in a boating accident in British Columbia.

Andrew Milner grew up in Antigonish, N.S., and played for Rothesay-Netherwood School, a prep school team in New Brunswick. The guard went on to play at the University of Calgary.

In his rookie university season, his teamwon the U Sports national title. In March, the Dinoslost in the national final in Halifax to the Carleton Ravens.

Milnerplayed for two Basketball Nova Scotia teams that won back-to-back national under-17 championships. Several of his teammates from those teams have agreed to come to Halifax to be camp instructors.

"Andrew was truly selfless and generous and was a national champion three times," said Jacob Sheffar, a basketball player at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. "He was someone that all young basketball players should look up to.He was a really hard worker and coachable."

Sheffar is one of the organizers of the camp, the Andrew Milner Skills Academy. He said all proceeds from the camp are going toward a scholarship in Milner's name.

Many of the top boys high school basketball players fromNova Scotia will attend the four-day camp at the Homburg Centre at Saint Mary's University.

In late April, Milner, 19, was canoeing with a Dinos teammate on a lake near Cranbrook B.C., when their boat capsized in frigid water. Milner's teammate managed to make it back to shore, but Milner did not.

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