Ron Maclean speaks to Ve’ahavta Street Academy

Today Ron Maclean spoke to our students and some board members, at the Veahavta Street Academy (VSA).

He spoke for two hours drawing upon stories from his humble beginnings, the 26 Stanley Cups he has covered, the Olympics he has attended and his close relationship with Don Cherry.

He told us about the affect Victor Frankl’s ‘Search for Meaning’ had on his life, as did the Zamboni drivers he knows, announcers, hockey players and the CBC staff.

He shared with us short vignettes about Bobby Orr who comforted him as he was about to go to air, having just learned Rose Cherry was on her deathbed.

Hockey is Canada’s cultural golden vessel and Ron Maclean is the emperor. While Don Cherry, another Canadian icon, projects his celebrity as a diva of sorts, Ron Maclean brings his royalty to the street.

And when he told us about one of his first NHL interviews, with the very intimidating Harold Ballard, we could almost sense the sweat rolling down his face, still a young guy from Red Deer, as the Leaf owner went on a tirade about the evils of bringing a Russian (’Communist’) team to Canada.

Ron is real and compassionate, to the extent that he wrote his home number on the chalkboard for the VSA students – individuals who are homeless or near homeless – should they ever need help.

He is a storyteller,  an archivist of Canadian history and an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Next time you watch Hockey Night in Canada, and Coaches Corner, consider that the humbly dressed man you are listening to gave of his time one summer day to a Jewish Street Academy,  to enhance the lives of a few Canadians who have faced some very serious challenges in life – those whom we call the homeless.

Posted by Vanessa |