Kids and Santa have a fun skate Sunday at the Ridgeview Rink. Photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – The well-organized, and very well-attended Hart Community Association’s annual Skate with Santa Sunday afternoon turned out to be what a community event should be, the people of one large neighbourhood coming together to enjoy an afternoon of fun outdoors.

The association has hosted the event at the Ridgeview Rink on Ridgeview Drive for the past seven years and it brings back all kinds of memories:  moms and dads lacing up skates, excited kids asking if they can go get on the ice now, hot chocolate, the added attraction of the aroma of chilli, lots of tunes and the chatter of people…..chattering.

The younger children had a chance to skate on the smaller rink

The chilli was donated by the Hart Community Center.  The ice, two sheets of it in an area devoted to tennis courts in the summer, are courtesy of volunteer Ice Captains Jodi and Mike Shaw.  Mike says he’s been making and maintaining ice sheets for eleven years now, the past five at the Ridgeview Rink.

The more experienced kids took advantage of the larger ice surface

He gets his water, with the required permit, of course, from the City hydrant directly in front of the facility.  He says “when it’s cold enough you spray, when it snows you clear the ice.  There’s a lot of hockey played on the big rink so the ice gets chewed up pretty good.  Then you spray some more.”

“There’s a bit of an art to it.  You learn a little more each winter.  It’s a labour of love.”

Of course one of the biggest moments came when Santa showed up about 30 minutes after the skate began.  He was immediately surrounded by the younger children on hand and gave them each a candy cane.  When asked by one girl if he would have enough candy canes for all of the kids who were there, a wise Santa replied “Oh yes, I have enough, Santa won’t be running out of candy canes THIS year.”

Santa busy handing out candy canes

After visiting with the big group of kids on hand Santa eventually made his way to a chair beside the larger ice surface and sat down.  After removing his boots a very nice lady, upon observing a robust Santa belly, generously put his skates on, laced them up and Santa, a big kid at heart, was off to skate with the other kids.

A friendly community Christmas celebration.