Volunteers Keep 'Pond Hockey' Alive

By 250 News

Kids taking advantage of the Heritage/DP Todd outdoor ice rink on Dec 23rd

Prince George, B.C. - This is the first year Chris Kitchen has volunteered to be ice captain for an outdoor community ice rink and, after putting only a few hours into it, the benefits have already been more than he'd hoped for...

Kitchen took the City's 'Hydrant Operator' course to learn how to flood the ice safely.  And he's now responsible for maintaining the outdoor rink in the tennis courts near Heritage Elementary/DP Todd Secondary for the coming winter

"We had just two applications of water on and there were kids out there using it, so it's gratifying," says Kitchen.  "There were three 13-year-old boys there playing hockey and my two boys (ages 9 and 11) went out and they had a three-on-two game and I stood and watched for about an hour and that was worth the seven hours I'd put into the rink at that point -- maybe after 20-hours of snow shoveling it may be different," he says with a laugh, "But it was well worth it."

Kitchen is quick to give credit to a neighbour who has helped him flood the rink, named Dwayne -- he hasn't even learned his last name yet.  And he also points out it's just his first year, while he met 25-year volunteers at the City workshop.

In all there are 22 outdoor ice rinks throughout the city.  Recreation Coordinator, Robin McConkey says, they're "all completely volunteer-run and it's incredible."  She points out the rinks are supported by the Community Associations and fall under their insurance coverage. 

McConkey liaises between the Community Associations, City, and School District 57 in the fall in preparation for the winter ice rink season.  She says unique to Prince George, is the fact the ice captains are allowed to use the hydrants...she emphasizes not anybody can use them and they're never to be used to flood backyard rinks. (Yes, people have gotten into trouble trying to do just that!)

McConkey says the City is always keen to support the associations in getting the rinks up-and-running because "it's such a great resource for the city -- everyone can benefit from it: it's free, outdoor, healthy active living."

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