Eleven-year-old Cassius Billy is thrilled to be preparing for a trip of a lifetime to meet Montreal Canadien’s goalie Carey Price in Montreal next week.
“I’m excited,” says Cassius, who was selected by the Breakfast Club of Canada to make the trip.
Cassius said he has cousins who are related to Carey so he is looking forward to meeting him and asking him about his family connections.
He is also looking forward to watching Carey play and getting his autograph.
Cassius is making the trip with his aunt and chaperone Renee McKeown. They leave on Saturday and have been researching things they can do together in Montreal.
He is looking forward to swimming in their hotel pool and visiting the science museum.
“I’m interested in fossils and plants and discovering new species of dinosaurs,” Cassius said. “It will be really fun.”
He said he watched Carey play the Canucks on television and last year had fun attending a Canucks hockey game in Vancouver and visiting the science centre there with some of his family.
Cassius said his favourite subject is PE. He learned to skate when he was younger but hasn’t played hockey yet, and is looking forward to attending a hockey camp in February.
Principal Calvin Dubray said there was a contest last year which students could enter for the chance to make the trip to Montreal to meet Carey, but this year he said the schools nominated two potential students for the honour based on their participation in the school’s Breakfast Club of Canada.
Dubray said Marie Sharpe nominated Cassius and another girl in Grade 6. Cassius was chosen for the honour.
He said Cassius is a new student at Marie Sharpe this year and has been very helpful with school activities and a mentor to a Grade 1 student at the breakfast club and on the playground. He will also be buddy reading with the younger student.
Dubray said students chosen for the trip to Montreal to see Carey are treated like royalty. Last year when he accompanied student Jimal Thomas on the trip, he said they were treated like royalty. They attended Montreal Canadien’s practices, visited the Breakfast Club of Canada head office, visited the robotic dinosaur museum, were given a guided tour around Montreal, and received lots of media attention.
They also sat in the VIP box for one of the Montreal Canadiens games. Unfortunately last year, Dubray said Carey wasn’t playing because he was recovering from an injury.
But Carey is back in action this year so there is a good chance the home grown star will be on the ice for the game between Montreal and the Calgary Flames that Cassius and his auntie will be attending next Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Cassius is one of three elementary students in the region who participate in school Breakfast Club of Canada programs who will be making the trip to Montreal this week.
Grade 6 student Chrissie Squinas was selected from Anahim Lake Elementary/Junior Secondary School to also make the trip to Montreal.
“Chrissie loves hockey and has been a life-long Carey Price fan,” says principal Dylan Walsh.
“She is an excellent student and her behaviour is an excellent example to other students. Chrissie has earned this trip due to her various efforts.”
She will be travelling with her auntie Audrey Squinas.
Another student from the Quesnel school district will be making the trip with them to Montreal.
The group leaves on Saturday and will see a Montreal Canadiens game on Tuesday.