TORONTO, ON — The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), in partnership with the Carnegie family, is proud to announce the Scarborough Hockey Association (SHA) as the inaugural recipient of the Herbert H. Carnegie Award. The award was presented on July 14 at the GTHL’s Annual Meeting of Members.
Created to honour the legacy of Herbert H. Carnegie, the award recognizes a forward-thinking GTHL organization that demonstrates outstanding leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with a deep commitment to community development and youth engagement. The award also celebrates those who embody the spirit of the Future Aces Creed — a message of character and citizenship championed by Mr. Carnegie throughout his life and work.
The award presentation featured a heartfelt speech from Bernice Carnegie, daughter of Herb Carnegie.
“When the GTHL came to our family and said that they wanted to have an award in my father’s name, of course we said, ‘Yes!’” she shared. “I know that if my father was here, he would be delighted to know that the sport he absolutely loved and played for 17 years is honouring him in this way.”
Bernice went on to highlight a powerful detail from SHA’s application that resonated with her father’s values:
“It was a little phrase — ‘We are very strict about making sure that our young people have equal ice time.’ That stood out to me. It reminds me of a story about my dad coaching kids and realizing that youth sport is about belonging. This award goes to a group that gives kids the opportunity to work together and have the same space on the ice.”
Don West, President and Chair of the GTHL Board, echoed that sentiment:
“This year’s recipient really reflect the values that Herb Carnegie stood for — the values rooted in the principles of the Future Aces Creed, so please join me in congratulating the Scarborough Hockey Association.”
Accepting the award on behalf of SHA was President Ed Wahl, who spoke to the organization’s long-standing commitment to inclusion and access:
“First, I want to thank the GTHL for this tremendous honour. Our program is very diverse in Scarborough — we deal with a lot of families of need. We’ve been successful for the last 69 years in keeping everyone playing as possible. It’s our board of directors and our families that make it happen and I just want to thank everybody here and the GTHL for this fine award.”
The Herbert H. Carnegie Award will be presented annually, serving as a reminder of the power of sport to uplift, unite, and inspire — values Herb Carnegie lived by and passed on to generations of young people.
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