Students score some ice time as learn-to-skate program kicks off
Dozens of Grade 2 kids shuffled around the ice Wednesday at the Downtown Community Arena, the first batch of new skaters getting trained as part of a $1-million agreement between the city and the Edmonton Oilers.
They were taking part in the launch of CanSkate@School, a program that aims to teach “high needs” kids in inner-city elementary schools how to skate. Grade 2 classes from 12 schools were expected to take the program each season, which is fully funded out of a $1-million contribution from the Oilers Community Foundation and the Katz family.
“We really want to make sure residents in the area have access to skating and other programming,” said Natalie Minckler, executive director of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.
The foundation and the Katz family announced the funding at a 2015 banner-raising ceremony for former Oilers head coach Glen Sather.
Students from Delton Elementary were among the first kids on the ice at the launch. The fund pays for equipment, busing to the arena and instruction. The program, which includes classroom and onice activities and instruction from Skate Canada coaches, comes at no cost to students or schools.
Brad Badger, director of programs and events with the city of Edmonton, said the original facility development agreement for the Downtown Community Arena — one of several agreements between the city and the Oilers about Rogers Place — mandated funding for community programming.
“The big part from the city side was the mandate of the facility, and this fund was part of our original agreement,” he said. “This is the kind of local and community programming we really wanted to see here at the Downtown Community Arena.”
He said the fund is expected to last for the duration of the 35-year agreement between the Oilers and the city. “If the fund gets utilized, obviously it will be the partners’ responsibility to figure out strategies to supplement it,” he said.
The city used the funding to purchase equipment for the Downtown Community Arena, the only city facility to offer free rentals and community skates, Badger said.