We love you, Kayla Blackwell

With the heaviest of hearts, the Calgary Ringette family has lost one the best ones. Miss Kayla Blackwell, 18 years old, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her friends and family members, on Saturday, October 18.

Kayla was not only part of our AA Ringette family, but also Bow View Ringette, and the community of countless players across Canada. She made an immense impact during her career as a ringette player and as an exceptional human being. Kayla will be deeply missed and we grieve with her family, her life and her deep impact on others. Throughout her battle with cancer, she tirelessly tried to get back to playing ringette. It was part of her essence. In her memory, please ensure you keep her in your hearts and play hard with her passion for the game. We are all #12.

Thank you to the ringette community across the country for the incredible support you've shown for Kayla and the Blackwell family. The outpouring of support from across the country for Kayla and her family - on social media, the moments of silence before games, and the #12 helmet stickers - has been nothing short of astonishing. #12 will forever be in our hearts.

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Kayla's Celebration of Life

Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (doors open at 2:30 pm)
Location: Winsport (Canada Olympic Park) Arena A
Dress: All ringette players are asked to wear their favourite jersey and other attendees to wear red—Kayla’s favourite colour—and an option is a red, Calgary Flames jersey.

The service will also be streamed live if you are unable to attend in person. The link will be shared closer to the day. 

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Our ringette community is amazing, and let's be sure to all take care of one another during this difficult time. We also encourage you to reach out to the many support services and resources that are available to offer additional support. We have listed a few to help with some possible options:

Immediate & 24/7 Crisis Supports

Distress Centre Calgary — 24/7 phone, text, and chat support for Calgary & Southern Alberta.
 403-266-HELP (4357) | Youth text: 587-333-2724
Website: https://distresscentre.com/24-hour-crisis-support/

988 Suicide Crisis Helpline — National 24/7 mental health crisis support.
 Call or text 9-8-8
Website: https://988.ca

Alberta Health Services Mental Health Helpline — Free 24/7 confidential support.
 1-877-303-2642
Website: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/amh/page16759.aspx

Free or Low-Cost Services in Calgary

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA?Calgary) — Peer support, community navigation, youth & adult programming.
Website: https://cmha.calgary.ab.ca

Calgary Counselling Centre — Sliding scale counselling (no waitlist).
Website: https://calgarycounselling.com

Jewish Family Service Calgary — Free 3-session short-term therapy, then sliding scale.  403-287-3510
Website: https://www.jfsc.org/programs--services/mental-health-support-line.html

Eastside Community Mental Health Services (Woods Homes) — Free immediate counselling for families & youth.
Website: https://www.woodshomes.ca/eastside-community-mental-health-services/

Calgary Public Library — Wellness Desk — Free mental health and addictions support & referral.
Website: https://www.calgarylibrary.ca/your-library/free-services/wellness-desk

Community Connect YYC — Affordable counselling in multiple languages.
Website: https://www.communityconnectyyc.ca

Virtuous Circle Counselling — Reduced-fee counselling with supervised therapists (~$50/hr).
Website: https://vccounselling.com/affordable-counselling-calgary

Supports for Children & Youth

ConnecTeen (Distress Centre) — Confidential text/chat for youth. Text 587-333-2724
Website: https://calgaryconnecteen.com

Calgary Counselling Centre — Counselling for youth & families.
Website: https://calgarycounselling.com

CMHA YouthSMART — Mental health education for ages 12-24.
Website: https://cmha.calgary.ab.ca/programs-services/youthsmart/