'Why wouldn't they reach out?' Senators council missing racialized voices, advocates say
NHL team's community cabinet 'particularly focused' on English, French, Algonquin people
Bob Dawson unfolds a piece of paper to read a quote from Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer.
"'We're more than just the hockey team, as you know. It's what we do for the community. So it's for me, it's understanding what the needs are, what our fans need and what citizens want and be part of it,'" Dawson reads over a video call with CBC.
Dawson is a trailblazer for Black hockey players in Canada. Part of the first all-Black line in Canadian university hockey, the defenceman played with Saint Mary's University from 1967 to 1971, where he was the target of racist abuse.
When the Senators announced their community cabinet last month to foster more authentic engagement with various communities, Dawson said he was saddened that many racialized communities didn't get a seat at the table.
"[Andlauer] is taking steps to realize and put into action what he stated," said Dawson. "It just happens that for the time being, there's an important piece of representation that is missing in that cabinet."
Focused on '3 founding nations'
The cabinet was created in early 2024 to advise the organization's community initiatives. It has five members, a facilitator and a specific focus.
Senators chief operating officer Erin Crowe said the cabinet was focused on the "three founding nations" of the area.
"If we think about the National Capital Region, really the three founding nations here would be the Algonquin Anishinābeg Nation, the French Canadians and the English Canadians," she said.
Dawson likes the idea of the cabinet, particularly the importance of engaging Algonquins, but said it is missing crucial voices.
"It seems their focus is very narrow," he said.
Jacquie Dixon, a former member of Hockey Eastern Ontario's board of directors, questioned the exclusion of Black people when there are many willing to contribute.
"They did miss the boat, but why miss the boat when you have prominent people … that are doing stuff in the Black community and know what's happening in [it]," she asked. "Why not reach out to them?"
Dawson noted the Black community isn't the only one missing from this cabinet: According to the 2021 census, about 85,000 Ottawa residents identified as Black, 58,000 as Arab and another 58,000 as South Asian.
Both Dawson and Dixon were a part of the Senators' Celebrating Black History Night at the Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) in February.
Just days before the game, the pair also participated in the celebration of the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes, hosted at the CTC.
Outside of February, however, they claim engagement with the Black community is nearly non-existent.
Crowe said the organization has been talking about expanding initiatives beyond their "specialty nights" such as Black History Night and Pride Night.
"When we do these nights, it can't be simply a night, right?" she said. "It's got to be something that we ingrain into the fabric of our organization, and that we have that continuous outreach and engagement."
Dawson said he and a colleague reached out to the team to discuss expanding initiatives regarding the Black community in the summer, but their communication "fell on deaf ears."
Representation is 'critical'
Since his playing days, Dawson has seen strides toward equity and inclusion in the hockey world, but it has not progressed as far as the Black hockey historian hoped.
"Racism is still alive and well in hockey," he said.
Hockey Canada reported an increase in allegations of race-based discrimination between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. CBC Ottawa reported on allegations of racist remarks on the ice earlier this year.
Dixon said the mistreatment Black kids receive can push them away from the sport.
WATCH | Black hockey players in western Quebec said in 2022 they've faced racial slurs:
Participants in a 2024 report on hockey in Canada said these harmful behaviours are "normalized and passed down."
"Meaningful change requires a shift in culture, norms, and expectations rather than a box-ticking exercise," the report reads.
With nearly 84 per cent of the NHL's workforce identifying as white as of 2022, Dixon and Dawson said this shift in culture starts with more representation.
"It's critical to have that representation at the table to share their lived experiences," said Dawson.
"Everyone may say they are open to it, but until they're engaged with diversity, that's when they realize they're really not as open as they thought," Dixon added.
Course correcting
Cheri Bradish, a sports marketing professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said organizations must be mindful of representation on advisory groups like the community cabinet.
She said it's common to see teams "course correct" their community outreach efforts when there are concerns from the public.
Crowe said she was glad to hear concerns about the cabinet because it's important to listen to stakeholders.
"I think that we will need to have some discussions about whether this cabinet should be expanded or how we can ensure — whether it's through this cabinet or through other means — how we engage with that broader community that we deal with and that we care about on a more regular basis," she said.
Continued engagement with communities create "inroads," she said, weaving them into the organization. She noted more communities need to experience this.
Asked if the Senators have taken steps to include other communities in their engagement efforts, Crowe said the organization hasn't had any specific conversations about expanding their initiatives, but would be "happy to explore" it.
Dawson and Dixon are hoping the Senators will correct their course and include more communities in the cabinet or other future community endeavours.
Dawson, who works with the organization during Black History Month, said he will raise that issue when they begin their annual preparation.
Dixon says the Senators "need to do more."
"My [next] steps would be to engage us," she said. "Engage us to help you structure reaching out to the Black community."
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