Nova Scotian introducing BIPOC youth to curling gets shout-out from Governor General

A Nova Scotian who's on a mission to bring more diversity to the sport he loves has been recognized by one of Canada's most well-known names. 

Andrew Paris grew up curling in Truro, N.S., and realized from a young age that Black kids like him faced barriers trying to get on the ice.

Those experiences inspired him to found the Black Rock Initiative, which ran three pilot programs last fall to get more Black, Indigenous and newcomer youth to try the sport.

Paris shared his story with CBC Radio's Information Morning last month, and then he got an unexpected call from a fellow fan of curling who wanted to congratulate him — Canada's Governor General Mary Simon.

"Creating a positive space for Nova Scotia youth is so timely and important, so I just wanted to applaud you for the work that you're doing," Simon said Thursday.

Listen to the phone call between Andrew Paris and Governor General Mary Simon here:

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.