Like an arctic winter day, the darkness has seemed interminable for Table Tennis Canada (TTCAN, to its friends). Twenty-five years ago, they were enjoying great press when Canadian champion Johnny Huang upset reigning Olympic gold medalist Jan-Ove Waldner at the 1996 Olympics. Now, the headlines are much less scrapbook-worthy. TTCAN found itself $500,000 in debt. In an emergency cost-saving measure, seven of its staff were laid off. Like rats from a sinking ship, the board of directors resigned en masse. While COVID-19 was an aggravating factor, it did not create the systemic dysfunction already hobbling the national governing body. Meanwhile, far from the madding crowd, Kevin Murphy in the Yukon and Thorsten Gohl in the Northwest Territories (NWT) kept the boreal balls bouncing. Not only did they maintain vigorous grassroots table tennis programs in their respective realms, but they found innovative ways to reach new markets. For example, from February to April of this year, Gohl led a table tennis cross-training camp for hockey goalies to improve reflexes and hand-eye coordination. "It’s trying to think outside the box with the big country that we have here in Canada," said Gohl. Now, Murphy and Gohl have brought their talents to TTCAN. Gohl was elected to help repopulate the vacant board of directors, while Murphy now occupies the Members Council Chair. Having such strong northern representation is "really cool," in the words of Gohl, "We haven’t seen many N.W.T. or Yukon players over many years on the national level and I think with us being more involved nationally we can bring more kids and youth to national championships," Gohl continued. "We can connect them with other provinces and territories and I think it’s opened a whole lot of opportunities. It shows you can go down south and play in training camps or participate at national championships or try out for the national team." As the days grow shorter and colder, a new era of innovation is dawning on Table Tennis Canada. Perpendicular to tradition, this light is rising from the north.

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