Nunavut patients in Ottawa treated to NHL game

Several Nunavut patients receiving treatment in Ottawa were treated to tickets to see an NHL game this week.

Since 2016 Bill Ellam, the director of security and guest services for the Ottawa Senators, has been helping collaborate with the Ottawa Hospital to give out hockey tickets to Nunavut patients.

This year, after not being able to bring patients to games during COVID-19 over the last two years, the biggest group from the Larga Baffin centre to date went. The centre is a full service boarding home for residents of the Baffin Region of Nunavut.

"It's been a long standing relationship," said Carolyn Roberts, the Indigenous patient nurse navigator at the Ottawa Hospital.

 "Given the pandemic, of course, we couldn't do any more activities at the Canadian Tire Centre. But this week, we just wanted to come back in with a bang, right?

There were 67 tickets doled out, the majority of which went out to patients and their escorts. 

"We're so so happy," Roberts said.

There were also a few tickets for the Indigenous cancer program team.

She said the group sat at around press level for the Ottawa Senators game versus the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday evening. They also draped a Nunavut flag over their seats to represent their home territory.

Roberts said there are still precautions taken with the patients to keep the risk of COVID-19 and other illness lower, including that anyone not feeling well, would either need to wear a mask to attend or not come at all.

"We have to take care of one another. But yet, we need these positive mental health experiences," she said.

"To resume these community outings and to be together, is so exciting, it's just such a relief, and it just brings such joy to each and every one of us."

Ellam said the main point is to help lift the spirits of northern patients who are far from home. 

"The power of sport is incredible. You know, it gives the people a little bit of happiness in their troubled lives and hopefully it helps them," he said.

 "I can't say it heals them, but hopefully it helps them just a tiny bit to make them feel better. I've met some really wonderful people through this program. And they helped me probably just as much."