Community chips in for special outdoor hockey rink in Dauphin
City used to have several outdoor rinks, but they've slowly disappeared over the years
Noticing the lack of outdoor skating rinks in Dauphin, Man., local residents got together to raise money and donate land and equipment to start their own special rink this winter.
There used to be several outdoor rinks in Dauphin, which is 250 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. But many have disappeared over the years. Heading into the winter of 2016, the city was down to just one outdoor rink — until now.
Dauphin resident Scott McCallum helped change that.
"I've got so many memories spending time on the outdoor rink growing up that I think [there is] a huge demand and [it helps] keep our young kids active," he said.
McCallum was also inspired to make the rink after a trip out of province last winter to visit a friend, who became paralyzed from the waist down in an accident a few years ago.
No longer able to get around like he used to, the man's friends built him a rink in his backyard so he could watch his kids have fun.
"He said, 'Look at what my friends have done for me,'" McCallum recalls. "He said, 'We have friends over, the kids skate until 11 or 12 at night.'"
McCallum secured some property near the outskirts of the city from his brother-in-law and convinced a few local families to put up $400 each to help make the Dauphin rink a reality. The group also put out a call for donations to cover the rest of the costs.
"Once we got the ball rolling the donations were just absurd. We couldn't believe what people were donating," McCallum said. Apart from the thousands of dollars raised in financial donations, everyone from farmers to electricians donated time to help get the rink off the ground.
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The rink is 30 metres long by 20 metres wide and has a warming shack for parents to watch kids play. The icy surface is kept in good shape for skating thanks to the purchase of previously owned Zamboni for the rink.
"There was a few crazy fathers that went out and purchased the Zamboni," McCallum said, adding the local high school gave the machine a tune up before its first spin on the ice.
Only half of the money raised was needed to create the rink this year, so McCallum intends to spend the remaining $6,000 to $7,000 on rink maintenance over the next five years.
McCallum hopes City of Dauphin officials take notice of the demand for more outdoor ice.