The tradition of outdoor hockey on a natural rink returns to Goulding Park this winter, and along with it a story that would make Don Cherry smile.
Hockey in Goulding Park started with an outdoor rink (the arena that encloses it wasn’t built until 1962), and the area has been a hotbed of community hockey ever since. Leagues for players of all abilities are operated by the astonishingly dedicated Brant Snow and a team of community volunteers.
But there hasn’t been a natural rink in the park for many years. Enter Mathew Cribari, a young man who approached me, along with his brothers and friends, wanting to give back to their community by creating two outdoor rinks – one for hockey and one for pleasure skating.
All the while, city parks staff had decided that new rinks could no longer have hockey boards! Too expensive, they claimed. Talk about the Grinch who stole hockey!
Just as the issue was about to turn into a fierce debate at council, staff relented. The boards are now set to go up and, nature willing, there will be pucks bouncing off the boards in no time.
Cribari knows that the rink will bring together people of all ages.
Brant Snow, who remembers playing at the outdoor Cameron rink as a boy, will be helping out and, no doubt, lacing up his skates. Likewise a local councillor who hasn’t played hockey for 25 years won’t be able to resist that unique sound of blades against natural ice and the sight of happy faces enjoying winter in Canada the way it was meant to be — with hockey boards.