Herbert H. Carnegie was a man who had an incredible lasting impact on hundreds of thousands of TDSB students.
Carnegie founded the Future Aces Foundation, which has played a significant role in teaching and inspiring so many since 1987. In April 2012, TDSB
Trustees voted to make the third week of every September Herb Carnegie Future Aces Week. This September 17-21 marks the first ever Herb Carnegie Future Aces Week.
Chris Spence, the TDSB’s Director of Education, said Carnegie was one of the all-time greats and will never be forgotten. “His legacy will live on forever through the Future Aces Foundation, which has made a difference in the lives of so many of our students and staff.”
Carnegie, who passed away in March at age of 92, started the Future Aces Foundation to provide scholarships for students who display exemplary citizenship qualities and is based on the philosophy that positive attention contributes to and reinforces a person's self-esteem. Approximately 200 TDSB schools are involved with the foundation, which focuses on the positive rather than the negative, by recognizing and encouraging attitudes and actions that are desirable and constructive. Carnegie once said that "being a Future Ace means being a good person with feeling in your heart."
Herb Carnegie knew the value of a positive outlook. In the 1940s, he was a star hockey player with the Quebec Aces in the Quebec Senior Hockey League, where he played with such greats as future Montreal Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau. Though undeniably skilled, his ambition to make it into the National Hockey League was sadly not fulfilled solely because of the colour of his skin. Despite the setback, Carnegie remained positive and redirected his energies to become active in his community and a very successful businessman. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2004.
To find out more about Herb Carnegie Future Aces Week, please visit
www.futureaces.org. There, you’ll find inspiring school initiatives, an overview of Future Aces Week and elementary and secondary curriculum links.
