Bernice Carnegie

Bernice Carnegie is the Co-Founder and President of The Carnegie Initiative (CI), an organization named after her father, the legendary Canadian hockey player and changemaker Herb Carnegie. Continuing the work her father started over 60 years ago, the CI is on a mission to continue to make hockey accessible, inclusive, and diverse. As an international speaker and author, Bernice’s storytelling capabilities illuminate the struggles and triumphs of her ancestral journey, igniting a flame of understanding and the importance of inclusion.

For 17 years, Bernice led her family charity with unwavering dedication, pioneering safe school programs that have made a lasting impact across Ontario. Alongside her father, she sculpted futures through the transformative power of the Future Aces Philosophy, a message that instills ethics, character-building, and exceptional citizenship in countless youth. Additionally, Bernice works with police, corporations, and various organizations helping to introduce new perspectives to traditional ways of thinking.

In 2022, Bernice was chosen as one of the top 22 most influential people in hockey in North America. Bernice etched her name in history as part of the groundbreaking BIPOC ownership of a professional women’s hockey team, the Toronto Six, in 2021. The following hockey season, the Toronto Six became the first and, to date, the only Canadian team to hoist the prestigious Isobel Cup which will be housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame, further cementing their legacy.

Bernice unveils the rich tapestry of her family’s journey on her personal website and in the co-authored autobiography, A Fly in a Pail of Milk: The Herb Carnegie Story. In the book, she reveals how her life was shaped by lessons passed on from father to daughter, celebrating the indelible contributions of Black Canadians throughout the course of the nation’s history.

As a community leader for four decades, Bernice has been the recipient of numerous federal, provincial, and community awards for education, development, communication, speaking, and volunteerism. She is the Executive Producer of the captivating documentary Beyond Their Years whose work stands as a testament to her father’s enduring legacy, inspiring generations to come.

Bernice was born in Toronto in 1945 and was raised in North York. Though she is a renowned speaker, author, and storyteller, she feels her most significant accomplishment is the loving relationship she has with her three children, Vaughn, Brooke, and Corey.

Nav Bhatia

Nav Bhatia, known as the Official Toronto Raptors Superfan, has been a fixture at Raptors home games since the team’s inception in 1995. He holds a courtside seat at Scotiabank Arena and is a familiar face at many road games as well. In 2015, Bhatia was appointed as the Raptors’ Community Ambassador, reporting to Global Ambassador Drake, to promote basketball and the Raptors’ brand.

Arriving in Canada in 1984, Bhatia worked his way up to become the top car salesman at Hyundai and eventually owned both the Mississauga and Rexdale Hyundai dealerships. His path to success was marked by challenges, including instances of racial intolerance as a visible minority.

Through his passion for basketball, Bhatia aims to change the perception of Sikhs and South Asians in the mainstream, advocating for a more united and tolerant community. He believes that integrating youth at a young age is key to changing these perceptions. Each year, he purchases tickets and brings thousands of kids from diverse backgrounds together to watch Raptors games.

The Nav Bhatia Foundation, started to support these efforts, has expanded its reach to include ambassadorship roles with World Vision and Canada Basketball. The foundation builds basketball courts around the world, using the sport to bring communities together.

In 2020, Bhatia was honored by the Basketball Hall of Fame, being included in the new Superfan Gallery alongside basketball stars like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant.

Angela James

Angela James is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played at the highest levels of senior hockey between 1980 and 2000. She was a member of numerous teams in the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League (COWHL) from its founding in 1980 until 1998, finishing her career in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). She was named her league’s most valuable player six times. James is also a certified referee in Canada and a coach.

Internationally, James played in the first women’s world championship, a 1987 tournament that was unsanctioned. She played with Team Canada in the first IIHF World Women’s Championship in 1990, setting a scoring record of 11 goals and leading Canada to the gold medal. She played in three additional world championships, winning gold medals in 1992, 1994 and 1997.

Considered the first superstar of modern women’s ice hockey, James has been honoured by numerous halls of fame. She was one of the first three women inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008 and one of the first two inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010. She was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. James was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.

As of 2022, James serves as co-owner of and General Manager for the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation and the Senior Sports Coordinator at Seneca College in Toronto.

James has been called “the first superstar of modern women’s hockey” and has been hailed as a pioneer who brought the women’s game into the mainstream. Longtime women’s hockey administrator Fran Rider stated that James brought credibility, without which the women’s game would never have gained recognition as an Olympic sport.

An eight-time scoring champion and six-time most valuable player during her senior career, James has been honoured by several organizations. She was named Toronto’s Youth of the Year in 1985 and was presented with the city’s Women in Sport Enhancement Award in 1992. Hockey Canada named her the 2005 recipient of its Female Hockey Breakthrough Award. The Flemingdon Park arena was renamed the Angela James Arena in 2009, and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League presents the Angela James Bowl to its leading scorer each season. She has been inducted into several Halls of Fame, including the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Reflecting on her role as a pioneer of the sport, James was one of the first three women, along with Geraldine Heaney and Cammi Granato, to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. They were enshrined in 2008 as part of the IIHF’s 100th-anniversary celebrations. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame hailed James as a role model upon inducting her in 2009. One year later, she joined Granato as the first two women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. James described being informed of her election as a day she never thought would happen, adding: “I’m really honoured to represent the female hockey players from all over the world.”