NHL honours Halifax's Dean Smith with Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award

Halifax lawyer Dean Smith is this year's Canadian recipient of the National Hockey League's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award. 

The award is given annually to an individual who has made an impact on his or her community, culture or society through hockey. It's named after the league's first Black hockey player.

Smith, one of three Canadian finalists, was announced the winner during a Stanley Cup playoff game Monday evening. He said he was honoured and humbled to receive the award.

"It was almost like a dream," Smith told CBC Radio's Maritime Noon on Tuesday.

"I heard my name, but I didn't react right away because I couldn't believe that I heard my name, especially hearing it come from the NHL ... [it] was really beyond my wildest dreams."

Smith, who is Black, grew up in the Whitney Pier area of Sydney, N.S. He said he found out early in life that Black people often faced discrimination in hockey.

"At the age of 12 years of age, I was informed by a number of white gentlemen that I shouldn't be playing the game, and other derogatory comments that drove me from organized hockey," he said.

"And I use that as motivation now to ensure that no kid experiences that again."

Smith serves as the chair of Hockey Nova Scotia's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which looks at recent incidents of racism and discrimination in the sport to offer recommendations to "make the game more diverse, inclusive and welcoming for all."

He said do to that, the organization is supporting an Indigenous girls' hockey program, a program that welcomes new Canadians to the game and by developing equity, diversity and inclusion training for those involved in the sport.

"I know from my perspective that our goal is to make this game as safe and as welcome as we possibly can for all those who wish to participate," he said.

"And we believe that if it's truly Canada's game, then all youth, all young people — regardless of race, regardless of gender, regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds — should have an opportunity to participate in a safe and welcoming environment."

Smith also runs Hockey Nova Scotia's Black Youth Ice Hockey program, which started 15 years ago.

The program helps develop the hockey skills of young African Nova Scotians so they can transition into minor league hockey.

Despite these steps, Smith said there's still work to be done. 

"The culture wasn't developed in a year and it's not going to be dismantled in a year, so we are trying to methodically approach this in a way that's going to have long lasting effects and we look forward to the work ahead."

Smith said for a long time, people have been afraid to address racism, discrimination and misogyny in hockey, but it's important to speak up.

"I think overall, Nova Scotians are leading the way in this space. We are leading the way in equity, diversity, inclusion and in building safe spaces in this game, so I think we should all be proud of that."

The award comes with a prize of $25,000 US. 

Smith said he's planning to donate those funds to various entities near and dear to his heart, including some women's shelters in the Halifax Regional Municipality, some scholarship funds for African Nova Scotian youth and the Cape Breton Boys and Girls Club of Whitney Pier.

"I am from Whitney Pier, very proud and shout out to all those Cape Bretoners who supported me along the way, along with many other Nova Scotians."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.