BY BILL PHILLIPS
If you watched the Canada/U.S. game during the World Junior hockey championships you got a good example of how challenging a snowstorm can be at at outdoor skating rink.
However, it’s nothing new to the hundreds of people who use any one of 20 outdoor rinks in the city. Yes, there are 20 of them and they are run by local community associations. It’s a constant battle to keep the rinks clear of snow and community association rink captains are usually the ones tasked with ensuring the rinks are clear of snow.
The rink at the end of Fairburn, just off Foothills Boulevard as you head up the Hart, is visible from the road. It’s road that Dustin Lloyd of Cycle North drives every day. He would drive by and often see people out with snow shovels clearing the ice so they could go for a skate or play a game of shinny. He thought there has to be something Cycle North could do to help and help they did.
On Friday, Cycle North donated three snowblowers to three local community associations.
“It’s awesome,” said Heather Bromley of the West Bowl Community Association. “The rink captains come out here and flood and they shovel the rinks in -20 weather, so it’s a huge advantage for them.”
Lloyd said many of their friends, family, employees and customers live in these neighbourhoods and without the community associations and their volunteers these rinks wouldn’t exist.
