Governor General Mary Simon announced 83 new appointments to the Order of Canada. One name in particular will stand out to Ottawa Senators fans. Ottawa native and former Ottawa Senator Jim Kyte was among the 83 appointments.
Kyte, 60, played 598 games in the NHL, with his professional hockey career spanning from 1983 until 1997. When a car accident forced his playing career to a halt, Kyte put down his hockey stick and picked up a pen, becoming a columnist for the Ottawa Citizen.
Both during and following his career as a hockey player, Kyte has been an advocate for accessibility and inclusion in sports. Kyte is legally deaf — the first and only deaf player to play in the NHL. Advocating for the hearing-impaired has always been a cause close to his heart.
“My mother was a big advocate for her children and I’m a big advocate for my children and other people with disabilities,” said Kyte. All four of Kyte’s brothers inherited their father’s hearing loss, too.
It’s the advocacy for fellow athletes with physical disabilities that earned Kyte his appointment. His official Order of Canada bio reads:
“Throughout his career, [Jim Kyte] championed the rights of athletes with physical disabilities to achieve greater accessibility and inclusion in sports. Off the ice, he has been a role model to others as a volunteer with numerous charities, an advocate for disability rights, and a distinguished voice for deaf and hard of hearing Canadians.”
The appointment as a Member has left Kyte feeling honoured. “When I found out, I was shocked and obviously very humbled and very proud to receive the Order of Canada,” he stated.
The Order of Canada is the second-highest honour for merit in Canada. A Member of the Order of Canada appointment “recognizes distinguished service in or to a particular community, group or field of activity.”
