Giving newcomer girls a shot at hockey

A new hockey program in Ottawa is helping newcomer girls conquer a traditional Canadian game.

Hockey4 Youth launchedWednesday at the Jim Durrell Arena, with 53 participants aged14 to 18fromRidgemontHigh SchoolandGloucester High School.

The charity has offered Canadian newcomersand low-income youth the opportunity toplay hockey for free since 2013.

Organizers said the new program is aimed atgivingnewcomersthechance to play a new sport while helping them improve their English literacy skills.

"It's not only boys thatcan play this gameor any games," said 16-year-old Manal Al Mahmoud, who came to Canada from Syria in 2016.

"You have to be equal with everything."

Seventeen-year-old BeatriceShirambere, originally from Congo said playing hockey makes her feel more at home in Canada.

"I want to feel like a Canadian," she said. "In Africa, we don't have [hockey]. It's amazing. I want to try it."

Jemila Jreivine, who had lived inMauritania,agrees.

"It's a new experience that I've never tried before," said the 16-year-old. "After this I'm going to continue on playing and skating."

Hockey4 Youth's programs in Toronto and Montrealhave brought in participants representing over 25 countries includingSyria, Afghanistan, India,Yemen andBrazil, according to the organization.

At a time when youth hockey enrolment and cost is in the spotlight, the charity says it wants to improve a 2016 statistic from the Institute of Canadian Citizenship: 71 per cent of new citizensexpress some interest in playing hockey, but only one per cent actually get to do it.

The new program in Ottawa runs for 10 weeks, with funding from the city, province, OSEG Foundationand Osler.