'He was a special guy': Musqueam First Nation holds celebration of life for Gino Odjick
Hundreds gathered at the Musqueam Cultural Centre Saturday to honour the life of former Vancouver Canuck Gino Odjick.
"He was our brother," said Musqueam First Nation Chief Wayne Sparrow.
"All across First Nations everybody knows him, so he's just well-known everywhere. Kind-hearted and loveable."
Odjick died last month from a severe heart attack after years of battling a rare, terminal heart illness.
Sparrow says he and Odjick became instant friends when the latter moved to Vancouver in the early 1990s, even living together for some time.
Several people shared their personal stories with CTV News on how Odjick impacted their lives.
"I was probably taking a path that wasn't the greatest," said long-time friend Robert Hughes.
Hughes says he met Odjick in his 20s when he was hanging around a rough crowd. He believes Odjick's influence changed the direction of his life.
"It would have been a different path, definitely, and I don't think I'd be standing here to tell you this story," Hughes said.
He says Odjick would take him to workshops where he'd help Indigenous youth. Hughes credits the eye-opening experience with helping turn his life around.
Pat Alec, an Indigenous man who grew up near Lillooet, says Odjick always made time for his community.
"You know, I got to know him, started calling him 'Uncle Gino,' and he used to come in, play ball hockey and do speeches to the community," said Alec.
Alec said they kept in touch through the years. He even visited Odjick in the hospital when the former Canuck was first diagnosed with the rare disease.
"It's kind of like when you talk to him, you kind of knew him already for years," said Alec.
Some of Odjick's former teammates also attended the event.
"He had that presence and he would walk somewhere and everybody would know 'this is Gino,'" said former teammate Martin Gelinas.
"He was a special guy."
During the ceremony, Odjick's family sat front-row, wearing Canucks jerseys.
"It's nice to see all his friends and family come here to gather and it's really nice to see everyone still loves him," said Bure Odjick, Gino's son.
Gino Odjick was 52-years-old.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.