Jack Lyons memorial hockey tournament honours late teen with autism
The legacy of a late North Bay teen with autism lives on as the second annual memorial hockey tournament raises funds for local support services.
Photos from the annual Jack Lyons Memorial Hockey Exhibition in North Bay
The one-day tournament, the Jack Lyons Memorial Hockey Exhibition, raised money for One Kids Place’s autism support services in North Bay and area on Thursday.
Jack Lyons was a student at Chippewa Secondary School who tragically passed away in April 2022 at the age of 17.
His family continues to advocate for autism awareness services, in his honour as a way of remembering him.
"It’s an honour to play in this tournament and for such a good cause," said Chippewa student Hunter Pizzali.
The arena stands were packed with fans, including students from Chippewa and West Ferris Secondary School.
As the puck dropped the crowd cheered.
Photos from the annual Jack Lyons Memorial Hockey Exhibition in North Bay
"It just overwhelms me to hear what’s here," said Lyon’s father Mark.
"It feels like a Battalion playoff game. To support Jack is just amazing."
Jack was very active in fat biking and he loved hockey.
He played for the North Bay North Stars hockey team, a program for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Photos from the annual Jack Lyons Memorial Hockey Exhibition in North Bay
"There’s no events like this in Sudbury or Kitchener," Lyons said.
"I’m getting calls all over to say 'how do we do it?'"
The school organized this one-day hockey exhibition with competing West Ferris and the North Stars, facing off for a few fun games.
"Our first pillar is to remember Jack and the person he was," said Chippewa Secondary School teacher Craig Nodwell.
"The second pillar is to raise awareness and some funds for autism."
Nodwell worked with returning Grade 13 student Jenna Wilson to put the tournament together.
She was close friends with Lyons.
"We went to school together and I did a placement in his classroom," Wilson said.
"Jack was always funny. He was always pulling jokes and pulling pranks in class."
Around 2,000 students attended the games.
Photos from the annual Jack Lyons Memorial Hockey Exhibition in North Bay
Photos from the annual Jack Lyons Memorial Hockey Exhibition in North Bay
Last year, the memorial exhibition collected $15,000 in donations.
All of the money raised will go to One Kids Place to support its autism summer program for between 50-60 kids.
The donations allow these kids to attend the camps free of charge.
"Each week is themed," One Kids Place volunteer coordinator Jesse Reid said.
"This year we have a great STEM camp running. We’ll be working on robotics and hopefully we can go check out some really great places in the community."
The Lyons family said it’s honoured to carry on their son’s legacy to ensure children with autism have the supports they need and to do that with the students in the stands cheering on for the game Jack loved to watch and play.
"It’s people in the community that give back and keep that momentum," Mark Lyons said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.