Red Tape campaign impacted sport

C.B. hockey player finishes career free of racist slurs

WE'KOQMA'Q — Logan Prosper has a feeling he won't be permitted to try out for the St. Mary's University hockey team when he begins to study at the Halifax school this fall.

After his fourth concussion in February, the 18-year-old doesn't expect to be medically cleared to play, although he still hopes to be able to play some recreational hockey.

Despite the injury, Prosper finished his final year of competitive hockey on a high note — playing games without racist slurs or taunts from rival players or spectators.

This change is directly related to the Red Tape Movement which Prosper started with his father Phillip in December 2019 after the youth was subjected to racist slurs and comments during a game.

"I'm shocked I made this much of a difference. I'm also so excited because hockey is so much different than it was two years ago," said Prosper, who is Mi'kmaq from We'koqma'q First Nation.

"There's not even swearing. Now everybody has to take courses, they dropped all those new rules and yeah, I think I did a pretty good change in hockey."

The Red Tape Movement was created after the family filed a complaint with Hockey Nova Scotia after Prosper was taunted with racist comments. The situation was so bad Prosper told media at the time he considered quitting the sport.

Instead, the family fought back and the Red Tape Movement gained national attention and the support of some current and former NHL players.

Hockey Nova Scotia has also made steps to address systemic racism within its sport.

The organization created a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. According to the Hockey Nova Scotia website, the task force was created in response to multiple news stories in the fall of 2019 about racism in sport, both locally and nationally.

In May, the task force publicly released its report after presenting it to Hockey Nova Scotia in April. The report can be found on the Hockey Nova Scotia website.

There are nine recommendations specific to the board. They include:

• Creating a diversity and inclusion seat on the Hockey Nova Scotia board of directors

• Developing a five-year growth plan for disabled people

• Pursuing more diverse boards and committees

• Reviewing all constitutions, bylaws and regulations with a diversity and inclusion lens

• Developing a member code that states zero tolerance for racism and discrimination.

CONTRIBUTED Logan Prosper wraps his hockey stick with red tape before a game. After being taunted with anti-Indigenous racist slurs during a hockey game, Prosper and his father started the Red Tape Movement as a way to bring awareness to the issue.