What is the connection between ice hockey, guitar playing and target shooting?
The Tetra Society of North America and, more specifically, the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter.
The Tetra Society is an award-winning charity dedicated to assisting people with disabilities to achieve an independent and fulfilling life in the community. Dr. Leonard Lye founded the N.L. chapter in 1996.
And for his unflagging devotion to the initiative, Dr. Lye was honoured with the 2025 MUNPA Tribute Award during a special event on Dec. 9.
Dr. Lye is a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial and has continued to contribute to Tetra in the seven years since his retirement.
“To me, what I do isn’t anything special. This is what we do at the Tetra Society.”
Many people at Memorial and in the St. John’s community say participation in Tetra projects have fundamentally changed them. Some students say it has completely reframed their understanding of “disability” and have even changed their career trajectory based on working with a Tetra Society client.
It’s clear Dr. Lye himself recognizes the incredible impact of the work; it’s why he continues to lead the society and bring solutions to life.
Read below to learn about three individuals who are accessing the activities that bring them joy thanks to the work of the Tetra Society — and Dr. Lye.
Ice hockey
Carter Burton lives in King’s Point, N.L.
He loves hockey, but his left-hand fingers curl in such a way that he can’t get them into a normal hockey glove. Carter has hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which affects his left hand.
When he was 11 years old, Carter’s occupational therapist reached out to Dr. Lye for help.
Approaching the project, Dr. Lye studied the materials and components and took a glove apart to analyze its construction.
Before long, he had a plan of what to remove and what to sew together to make a type of mitten hockey glove for Carter’s left hand.
“Using a suitable needle and “thread” — dental floss — I unstitched the glove, cut out the connecting material for the fingers, then sewed it back up to create the mitten
In a CBC story published at the time, Carter told Dr. Lye: “Now I have the opportunity to play hockey thanks to you.”
Dr. Lye has gone on to make three more gloves and is referenced in a 2024 book by Jim Lang, titled Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume III. It has a chapter titled The Unlikely Hero: Leonard Lye.
“To me, what I do isn’t anything special. This is what we do at the Tetra Society,” Dr. Lye is quoted as saying in the book.
Guitar playing
In 2006, Dr. Lye and his volunteers created a guitar strummer for a client who had a stroke and is paralyzed on the right side; he can use his left hand to press chords and his left leg to push a pedal.
Billy Bidgood of Memorial’s Technical Services helped fabricate the device.
“He has enjoyed practicing with his guitar,” said Mr. Bidgood’s wife, Meghan. “He is still learning how to use it, but it provides a beautiful opportunity to set goals and work on something with purpose. Our experience with the Tetra Society was absolutely fabulous.”
Dr. Lye and his team have created three strummers over the last 15 years, but each with unique features depending on the client’s needs.
Target shooting
As part of TetraCon2025, Dr. Lye was one of the featured speakers along with Claire McCarthy, who is a Memorial University student, a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador high performance shooting team and one of the top shooting para athletes in Canada.
Ms. McCarthy says in her sport, some disciplines require a customized shooting table for support and stability.
The tables must be customized to each athlete, and can’t simply be purchased off the shelf.
“With Leonard’s help, I went through many iterations of my table, each one improving upon the last,” she said. “Leonard was determined to create a design that met all my needs, and he eventually connected me with D. F. Barnes to continue refining the table — the version I use today is the result of that collaboration.”
She says that without Dr. Lye’s support, she wouldn’t have had access to the table or experienced the same level of success in competitions.
“It’s been essential. Throughout the entire process, Leonard has been extremely kind, creative and helpful. He really took this project to heart and kept finding ways to make it better — I’m deeply grateful for his continued dedication and support.”
These are just a few examples. Dr. Lye continues to enrich the community with energy, humility and deep care.
Whether he is solving engineering challenges, teaching a new sport (e.g. pickleball) or a musical skill (e.g. the ukulele) or mentoring young minds, Dr. Lye embodies service, innovation and joy.
Find more information on Dr. Lye and the MUNPA Tribute Awards.
