Community builds ice hockey rink
Camsell Place facility open to all youth
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, September 29, 2016
INUVIK
One day and some community generosity was all it took for a group of parents at Camsell Place to build a ball hockey rink and soon to be ice hockey rink for youth in Inuvik.
The builders gather. From left to right are Mark Prinz, Andrew Stewart, Brennan Woodcock, Joe Costa, Michael Blyth, Dustin Ward, Yannick Gagnon, Scott Young and in front is Morgan Young. - photo courtesy of Yannick Gagnon
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"The park is full right now," said Yannick Gagnon, one of the people who spearheaded the effort, looking across dozens of parents and children on playground equipment and in the new hockey rink. "I've never seen the park so full."
What now stands as a fully boarded hockey rink in the neighbourhood started as an idea and temporary ice rink last year.
The rink last year was boarded by snow, and although it was popular with youth, it had some flooding and ice quality issues. It needed a real retaining system.
This year, Gagnon was able to convince the Town of Inuvik to use the old boards that were setup during the Canadian Rangers' Operation Nanook tent village.
Home Hardware donated building equipment, such as screws and smaller boards, while a group of about a dozen community members constructed and finished the full hockey rink in one day on Sept. 24. It was full of youth playing that evening and the next day.
"Basically, this didn't cost a thing," said Gagnon, referencing the volunteer work and donations that went into it becoming a reality. "We're pretty grateful."
As youth played on Sept. 25, parents watched and cheered them on.
"Everybody from the community is welcome to use it," said Gagnon while watching. "It's not only the crescent."
The rink is serving as a ball hockey court for now but will be an ice rink during winter.
Gagnon's inviting community members and youth to come out and paint the boards.
"If people want to get their kids out here and come spray paint, paint, it's just going to make this place look good," he said. "It doesn't have to be pretty, just has to be colourful."
He also wants to set up a stick box for youth to use, because many do not have their own sticks. He hopes people can donate any extra hockey sticks they might have.
"I think it will be a big hit," said Gagnon.
He thanked everyone involved in its creation.
