Dean Smith of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the recipient of the Willie O Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai, given to an individual who - through the sport of hockey - has positively impacted their community, culture or society in Canada.
Tinker co-founded Black Girl Hockey Club Canada in November 2022 and is its executive director. The organization is a chapter of the Black Girl Hockey Club, a United States nonprofit group founded by Renee Hess in 2018 to inspire and sustain passion for hockey within the Black community, specifically among Black women, and provide access to the sport through education and scholarship programs.