While he might be more remembered for his contributions on the ice with the North Bay Battalion, Dalyn Wakely wouldn’t mind if people remembered him for his contributions off the ice as well.
That’s because for the past two winters, Wakely has been running a program called “Wakes Sake” in partnership with the Gathering Place.
“I have always wanted to be involved in the community and be a big part of where I am at,” explained Wakely. “North Bay is a spot where the community is so involved with the Battalion, and they come out to all the games and people are so involved and caring for us.
“Knowing the impact of the Gathering Place before I was there, and talking with Dennis Chippa, it was a good fit for me to come in and maybe promote it a bit, get more donations, and whatnot. I loved spending the past two years spending a day or two and helping out, also seeing the box of donations at the rink, it’s a rewarding thing to see. All the people at the Gathering Place deserve the best for what they’re doing there, and I was just happy to be a part of it.”
During Battalion games, a video would play with Wakely on the big screen telling fans what kind of donations he was looking to gather month to month. Donations varied from jackets, mitts, toques, toiletry items, shoes, extra clothes, and many more.
Through his efforts, Wakely was named the 2022/23 recipient of the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy, which is the OHL’s Humanitarian of the Year award. Because he won that award, he was put on the nominee list for the CHL’s Humanitarian of the Year, which he also won. That award pitted him against a nominee from both the QMJHL, and WHL.
“It’s one of those things that’s unexpected,” Wakely stated. “I had no idea it existed until I got the phone call, and it’s cool to be a part of and an honour to be someone who receives an award like that because so many people have made great impacts in their communities.
“It’s not something I did for the award; I think it was a cool thing to get on top of all the stuff I did in North Bay.”
That doesn’t mean that receiving those awards doesn’t rank highly in Wakely’s mind.
“It’s definitely up there in terms of things I have had awarded to me, because it’s bigger than myself and what I did. It exemplifies the community of North Bay and everyone who donated, everyone who contributed, the teammates who came in each week, so it’s just an award that exemplifies the City of North Bay, but it is special to be the name that went with that award.”
The weekly visits to the Gathering Place also offered a learning experience for Dalyn.
“First and foremost, it was so special to be allowed to be involved in the community like that and to meet people from the community who were coming in to have lunch. Through small conversations, it was nice to hear people’s backgrounds and what everyone is going through and be an ear for people if they need it.
“All the volunteers that were there, aside from myself and the guys that were with me, put in so much effort to provide every day. It’s a great spot in North Bay and I think people should always be trying to support stuff like that.”
While not everyone who visits the doorstep of the Gathering Place may have the chance to see the Battalion play in person, Wakely says there were a lot of smiles on faces when they recognized the players.
“I don’t know if they cared who was serving lunch, but a lot of them knew the team and what was going on. I wasn’t there to be anyone but the person serving lunch, but I would let them talk and let me know what they were seeing with the team, that’s the cool part of being in a community like North Bay.
“Everyone is so connected, knows what’s going on even if they can’t make the games, but being able to talk to people like that every day is a cool experience.”
Outside of Wakes Sake, Wakely also helped highlight the Indigenous community in and around North Bay. While his band may be the Curve Lake First Nation, he spent time living on Nipissing First Nation land while here, learning and helping to bring them even further into the community with events like the now annual Indigenous Youth Day game with the Battalion.
“I was fortunate to live on the reserve my entire time in North Bay, and be around people like me, something I haven’t been able to say my whole life. I am close to my home reserve, but I don’t live there all the time. I talk about the North Bay community so much, and it’s amazing, it’s someplace I would call home someday, it’s that great.
“I run out of words sometimes, but it’s so cool to see how much they really did adopt some of the stuff, and it’s great to see all around the league too, all the Indigenous games. As someone who is of that background, it’s cool and raises awareness for stuff that is important. Knowing the kids across the street from my billets, and the impact that stuff has on them is awesome to see and I hope things like that continue to move forward.”
If it sounds like Wakely is looking back on his time in North Bay, it’s because he very well could be. The 20-year-old is now eligible to play in the professional ranks, and if he signs with a pro team his time with the Battalion will have come to a close after losing game seven of the Eastern Conference final against Oshawa this past May. However, North Bay still holds a very close spot to Wakely’s heart.
“I think it’s easily the best three years of my life so far. It’s been a blast to be around that staff, and those boys, especially this year, I grew up playing against and with. To be with them for a long run was awesome. North Bay will be home forever for me. I am super tight with Brian and Lorie, my billets, and I will always go back there to visit. I would trade anything in the world to be back there in North Bay for sure.”
If his time is up in the Gateway City, Wakely thinks he will still be doing charity work wherever his career takes him.
“Each community is different, and that will be something I will have to understand and adapt to. Being involved in the community is important to me. The community I have around me back home has done so much for me and got me where I am today. Whether it’s in North Bay, or wherever I am in the future, I think it will be important for me to engage with the people and bring them together.”
Wakely was drafted in 2020 by then Battalion General Manager Adam Dennis, who said the team put an emphasis on drafting good people first, and good hockey players second. With a player like Dalyn Wakely, it’s easy to say he found one who inspires.
