Coordinated police effort collects a truckload of hockey gear for Inuit kids

She's no relation to Guy Lafleur (as far as she knows,) and her skating experience is limited to a couple of turns a year on the Ottawa canal.

But move over Sarah Palin. Cst. Louise Lafleur of the Ottawa police service is set to become the queen of the hockey moms to the 200 or so kids in her new hometown of Qikiqtarjuaq.

And maybe to kids in a few other communities besides.

In about two weeks, an initiative Lafleur launched with the help of Bev Mulligan back in Ottawa has already collected 220 pairs of skates, 136 hockey sticks, 359 pairs of hockey socks, and 720 hockey jerseys to donate to eager Qikiqtarjuaq kids – and beyond.

"And that's just from one of four hockey leagues," Mulligan said. "I don't know what the other three are bringing in." Mulligan is an administrative assistant with the Ottawa Police Service.

Lafleur, an Ottawa police officer for 12 years, arrived in Qikiqtarjuaq Oct. 17 for a two-year stay, seconded to the Nunavut RCMP.

Right away she saw a way to help out the 200 or so kids in the hamlet.

Qikiqtarjuaq has a natural ice arena, she said, and who knows how many future NHL stars or figure-skating champions are just waiting to get out on the ice to hone their skills.

Perhaps all they need is a pair of skates, Lafleur said.

She issued a challenge to various Ottawa platoons to collect skates and hockey equipment for Qikiqtarjuaq.

"I sent one email message to Bev," Lafleur said. "Can you rally the troops and see what equipment you can get?"

Mulligan agreed to coordinate, and it grew from there as email messages flew back and forth across the city, including through Mulligan's personal contacts beyond the force.

"It ballooned to this," she said.

The list of gear already collected also includes 54 hockey bags, 91 pairs of padded pants, 46 pucks, 60 rolls of tape – and even 44 jock straps and 10 first-aid kits.

It adds up to 2,307 individual items that filled a quarter of a two-car garage. But now "we've got a 64-foot trailer to store it in," Mulligan said.

The donations so far have almost all come from the Leitrim Minor Hockey Association in Ottawa's south end. Three other leagues are also on board, as well as the used sports equipment chain, Play It Again Sports.

Two dozen of the skates are for figure skating, so there's still hope for those who don't play hockey.

Employees of Royal LePage Realty are collecting cash for the project. Mulligan said they also donated "35 banana boxes filled with 250 brand new jerseys."

Cut-off day for receiving donations is Nov. 15. Then the equipment has to be packed up, with donated crating from a sealift company.

Some will be flown up before Christmas, Mulligan said, with shipping donated by both Canadian North and First Air. But some will probably have to go by sealift next summer.

"When the airlines agreed to do this, I don't think they realized how heavy hockey equipment is," a tired Mulligan said.

She could hardly get into her office Monday morning for the giant hockey bag filled with donated gear that was blocking the space.

Lafleur came to Nunavut for the first time last March, when she spent a month in Hall Beach as part of a joint effort between the Ottawa Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The aim was to give Ottawa cops experience with Inuit culture and geography while helping out the RCMP.

Lafleur had such a positive experience in Hall Beach, she said, that when the two police forces offered an extended two-year stay for an Ottawa officer, "I jumped at the opportunity."

Now she is developing her relationship with her new partner in Qikiqtarjuaq, RCMP Cst. Colin Kemp – and a lot of kids hanging around the arena.

"It's just good community policing," she said.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will enrich my personal life and my policing career," Lafleur said about her stint in Qikiqtarjuaq. "I hope to bring as much to the people I meet and serve as they will bring me."

She also brought her own skates with her, so she'll be able to join the kids on the arena ice.