The Henderson family has never hesitated to give their time – and their home – whenever Dawson Creek has welcomed Hockey Canada over the last decade
Kevin Henderson describes the role of team host as someone who solves the
problems of others.
Pretty straightforward, but definitely not easy.
Henderson is back at it again this week for the 2019 World Junior A
Challenge in Dawson Creek, B.C., a community that has become a go-to for
Hockey Canada events, from the 2009 National Women’s Team -pre-Olympic boot
camp to the National Women’s Under-18 Championship and World Under-17
Hockey Challenge.
Henderson has been front and centre at all of the events as a volunteer,
primarily as a team host. He is placed with one of the competing teams and
is the first person contacted when a problem arises – like when a player
forgets to pack some of his gear.
“One kid forgot his skates this year so I was asked, ‘Can we figure
something out?’ ” says Henderson, who by day is the general manager of
development services at the City of Dawson Creek. “I play hockey with a guy
who owns a sports store. He gave us a brand-new pair of skates for this kid
to wear in practices and an exhibition game while his skates were being
shipped.
“That’s the beauty of a small town. It speaks to the community and
willingness to help.”
That sense of coming together and doing whatever is necessary has put
Dawson Creek on the map. Hockey Canada regularly identifies communities
that have the ability to host national events. Sometimes it works, other
times it doesn’t work as well. With Dawson Creek it has become a success,
each and every time.
Henderson points to the history of his community working with Canada’s
national hockey body. In 2009, Canada’s National Women’s Team needed a
small community, away from the media glare, for its summer boot camp, a
month-long event that sees players and staff move into a community for on-
and off-ice training and team building.
Dawson Creek welcomed the team with open arms, with residents opening up
their homes for players and staff to live in. The Henderson family – Kevin,
his wife Tyra and their children, Hudson and Rachel – moved out of their
home and in with Tyra’s parents, who were on an acreage about 15 minutes
outside of town.
The Henderson house turned into the home for Team Canada athletes Meaghan
Mikkelson, Brianne Jenner, Charline Labonté and Delaney Collins, two of
whom – Mikkelson and…
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