The daughter of a hockey pioneer tells his story
February is Black History Month, and to mark the occasion this year Bernice Carnegie, co-founder and executive director of the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, shared her father’s compelling story with CEMA members attending the organization’s monthly meeting.
Herb Carnegie was born in Toronto in 1919, the son of Jamaican immigrants. At the age eight he discovered hockey and because of his ethnic background he was denied an opportunity to play in the National Hockey League.
During her presentation Bernice Carnegie took the audience through a historical journey outlining Dr. Herb Carnegie’s hockey contributions and how he overcame racial adversity in both sports and life.
Herb Carnegie had a very successful career in business. But there were other major accomplishments, including the establishment of the Future Aces Hockey School.
He was also co-founder of the Herb H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, which over the years has awarded hundreds of scholarships to students of all racial backgrounds from across Canada.
Herb Carnegie’s autobiography, published in 1997, is titled “A Fly in a Pail of Milk”.
BERNICE CARNEGIE (centre), daughter of hockey pioneer Herbert H. Carnegie, with CEMA’s board members Madeline Ziniak and Jules Elder.
