On thin ice
Skating hard work but opening Pier Rink for another season difficult too
Think back of when you were a child learning to skate. If you fell down, what did your parents say?
“Get back up and try it again.” Well, that’s exactly what the Whitney Pier Rink has done.
Some say there is no longer a need for the rink in Whitney Pier. After seeing the attendance for the recent Pier Classics Hockey tournament, I would beg to differ.
The Pier Classic Hockey Tournament was held November 10, 11 and 12. The tournament was facilitated by the team “Mustard Tigers,” who did a spectacular job planning the event. There were eight teams from various gentlemen leagues in Cape Breton Regional Municipality who played three to four games each over the weekend. Crowds of hockey players and spectators filled the rink for the entire weekend.
After a speedy decision to open the rink for the 2017/2018 season, the employees worked endlessly on preparing the building and the ice for the November 10 start date, working 15-20 hours somedays. Both the employees and the board show much dedication when it comes to keeping the facility open in the community.
Family skating began November 19. The rink will have family skating each Sunday from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Gentlemen’s hockey is now up and running and there are new bookings coming in each week. The facility also books rentals for birthday parties and other community events.
Friends of Neville Park will soon be hosting a free public skate as part of Canada’s 150 celebration.
These bookings demonstrate that there is a need for this facility in Whitney Pier and with any luck there will be other programs during the spring and summer months to help keep people active in the community.
Whitney Pier is a large, multicultural, sustainable community where people want to live, work and play. Let’s help make that happen.