Inside this 1840s N.B. barn is a dream hockey rink

Overlooking fields in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, an unassuming 1840s barn has grabbed the attention of young hockey players, who appreciate the elaborate ice rink tucked inside.

An opened door to the barn in the eastern New Brunswick community reveals a miniature arena with lighting, boards, lines, a dressing room and canteen overlooking the ice.

It's a setup built by a pair of local hockey dads, who have spent nights and weekends putting together their vision of the ultimate backyard rink. 

Martin Allain built an outdoor rink for the first time last season and said his kids loved it. But while most would be happy with a sheet of ice, he had more ambitious plans.

"We wanted to have it as real as possible," Allain said. "So we made the boards the real height, the trim, the colour of a real ice surface."

But there was one drawback to last year's rink — snow, rain and ice made it difficult to maintain the surface. That led to the idea of having the ice rink enclosed in the barn, well protected from the elements.

WATCH / 19th-century barn converted into dream backyard rink

This 1840s barn was converted into a dream backyard hockey rink

3 years ago

Duration 2:27

Martin Allain and Rémi Léger built a mini arena with features that include surround sound and a heated canteen overlooking the ice.

It started with constructing the rink itself, mostly using boards and lights from the old outdoor rink.

Then friends started contributing to the project, offering decals for the boards and suggesting ideas.

The rink has a surround sound system and the viewing area is heated, including television screens, a coffee station and a fridge. A hot water tank on site is used to resurface the ice.

Allain and his friend Rémi Léger spent eight weeks working nights to get it right.

"A lot of the hours were made after the kids would go to bed," Allain said.

From farm animals to hockey

The barn was built more than 170 years ago by Alyre Léger, who started farming the land. His son Ulysse expanded the farm and built multiple extensions to the barn, including the third section, where the rink sits today.

In its heyday, the current home of the hockey rink housed more than 100 farm animals. 

The Léger family later used the barn as storage for their meat market. But when that closed in 2014, the structure was nearly abandoned.

Allain, an electrician by trade, stored some of his equipment in the barn. One day when he came to gather supplies from an excavator it struck him that the space could be transformed.

Allain worked with Rémi Léger, Ulysse's grandson, to convert the barn. They named it the Ulysse Léger rink in his honour.

'They were really amazed'

The children of the two men can't get enough of the private rink, spending hours after school and on weekends playing hockey in the barn with their friends.

"The first time they came on the ice they were really amazed, and very happy and always talking about the rink," Allain said.

There are plans to expand the ice and make it longer over the next few years as the kids grow. Once pandemic restrictions are lifted, the hockey dads hope to organize some games.

"People are really amazed how it really looks like a real arena," Allain said.

"That was the whole purpose and it really came together."