Gino Odjick and Peter Leech address the students (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

Former Canuck Gino Odjick speaks with Indigenous students about mental health

Jun 22, 2022 | 4:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — In honour of Indigenous People’s Day, School District 73 Kamloops-Thompson hosted a district-wide aboriginal youth wellness conference at TRU. Students in Grades 8 and 9 attended the all-day event. The theme for the conference, as identified and selected by students, is ‘To care for one’s self’.

Gino Odjick played 12 seasons in the NHL, primarily with the Vancouver Canucks, until a fluke injury ended his playing career. Since retiring, the Algonquin First Nation born hockey player has toured internationally speaking to the younger generation — both of aboriginal ancestry and not — sharing his past experiences of the highs of pro hockey and the lows of depression.

“It’s real medicine for me. I always do it with Peter (Leech) because he can do a whole workshop for the entire day. As for me, I can speak for an hour,” said Odjick.

Gino along with Peter Leech, a former hockey and soccer player, as well as gold medal-winning boxer, were the keynote speakers at Wednesday’s (June 22) event. With the theme of the day being, ‘to care for one’s self, the two addressed the challenges of mental health, especially for those in the First Nations community.

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“Mental health started for us back when the Indian act was being formed, the residential schools were put into our communities and our lives. That’s when mental health really started to impact our people and its been that way ever since. Unfortunately, the sad reality is it’s going to be that way for years to come,” said Leech.

“I’ve lost lots of relatives to suicide. I’m happy that i asked for help and i try to share that with the kids to ask for help if they aren’t feeling well,” added Odjick

The approximately 160 students attended multiple workshops including one led by Odjick and Leech, where they continued to hit on the importance of knowledge, continuing to grow and acknowledging that they ‘are beautiful’.

“Our job is to come here and reach one youth, and if we reached one we’ve done our job and we can go home. Because hopefully that one will influence another and so on and so on. I know that we have come here and touched a few lives today,” said Leech.

“I always tell the kids, no matter how great an athlete you are to make sure you stay in school and get an education. Because education is freedom and gives you the opportunity to have a career,” Odjick said.