'A really interesting experience': Hundreds of new Canadians attend their first hockey game in Winnipeg
Hundreds of newcomers got to witness a favourite Canadian pastime on Saturday.
Svitlana Korchadova arrived from Ukraine with her family in July to escape the Russian conflict.
The transition to Canadian culture has not always been an easy one for her.
"Sometimes it is really hard," said Korchadova. "It was really hard, but we take so many help."
On Saturday, Korchadova and her 6-year-old son took part in a Canadian milestone -- going to their first hockey game.
The mom and son attended the Manitoba Moose game thanks to their scouts group called Plast.
The Ukrainian-focused youth organization brought around 120 people to the game, about half of them recent Ukrainian immigrants.
"So we wanted to give them a real Canadian experience, a family experience, so the scouts and their families can come together and experience their first hockey game," explained Monica Sim, a youth coordinator with Plast Winnipeg.
In preparation for the game and to build excitement, the new Canadians were told about the rules of the game and were taught chants like "go moose go."
"We have signs going on. A lot of us are dressed in our scout uniforms to show comradery. We are really looking forward to cheering on the moose together," said Sim.
The Plast group was just a few of the recent immigrants who attended the game.
The Manitoba Moose said more than 1,000 newcomers attended Saturday's match-up, an initiative they hope builds community and creates passionate new fans.
"We are really excited to welcome them and introduce them to the sport," said Raquel Payne, a marketing manager with the team. 'We really hope this is something they can use throughout the rest of the time here, whether it's making connections with other newcomers or fans."
A memory that will stick with them for a long time to come.
"It's a really interesting experience. We haven't ever been to a game like this live," said Korchadova.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Here's what Trudeau says the upcoming federal budget will offer renters
The federal government will create a new 'Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights,' which would require landlords to disclose their properties' rental price history to prospective tenants.