The rink program has been going very well this year. We have 12 volunteers helping with the cleaning and flooding so what used to be a two-hour slog is now a 45-minute walk in the park. Thank you to all the volunteers who have come out.
We have modified our opening due to COVID-19 restrictions but are still allowed 30 people on the large rink and 20 people on the small rink. Masks are required both on and off the ice if you get within a hockey stick length of another person outside of your immediate family. Hockey, shinney, tag, are all not allowed, as players tend to get too close to each other, and the provincial public health order banned hockey until restrictions ease. To that end, we had to put the nets away, but folks could still bring their sticks and pucks and practice at a safe distance and get some shots in as long as they were mindful of the other people at the rink.
On most weekends this winter, it is difficult to get a parking spot in the area and the rink and adjacent hillside is filled to capacity with skaters and sledders. A great opportunity for kids and family to get outside for some fresh air and exercise and fun.
For those of you who don’t know the history, here is a quick summary. The rink was started with temporary boards and a grass base by the community association shortly after the community was created in the early 1980’s. The community association upgraded the rink to an asphalt base and permanent boards in the late 1990’s. We just completed a refurbishment of the rink with new boards and lights and an underground electrical system a few years ago. The Edgemont Community Association has spent several hundred thousand dollars developing and maintaining the rink and the adjacent storage building over the last four decades. Annual operating costs are a few thousand a year. All of this has been paid for by community membership sales, casino funds, and city, provincial, and federal capital grants. It is probably one of our longest ongoing programs and we have never charged for use.
The Edgemont Skating Rink is open to the public in the community and adjacent communities. It is a feature of our community of which we should all be proud.