Winter beauty of Woodlawn Park beckons
I’m not a happy camper. Oops. Better change that: I’m not a happy skater.
So far this winter, there have not been many skating opportunities at Woodlawn Bush. Or as some prefer, Woodlawn Park.
I write about it on occasion. It is one of our hometown’s outdoor recreation gems.
It is also, in my opinion, one of Welland’s best- kept secrets.
It seems that a lot of people still don’t know of its presence.
“Huh? Where’s that?” is a typical reaction when the place comes up in discussion.
Well, it’s on the south side Woodlawn Road not far from the intersection of Clare Avenue. There’s a sign that says Woodlawn Park. And another giveaway: on weekends, cars and trucks jammed into a small parking area and a small set of “bleachers” where you can change from boots to blades. When it comes to amenities, there’s not much else here.
The Chippawa Park rink has its diehard followers. But I prefer the trails at Woodlawn Bush. When they are in prime condition, I refer to them as ribbons of ice. That’s what this place offers, ribbons of ice.
This is an enticing area. It plays host to pick- up hockey games, as it is supposed to, this being Canada and pick- up hockey being, well, so Canadian. But the trails also offer marvellous skating opportunities, on your own or with others. There are trails that can be followed when conditions are just right and when grooming is at its best. They wind their way through part of the park,
HOME TOWN
far better than skating on a square or rectangular pond.
Woodlawn Bush has three R’s going for it:
It’s rustic.
It’s rewarding.
It’s romantic.
About the latter, just ask some of the folks who skate here arm in arm, or hand in hand.
Some do more than skate. They ice dance. Some great choreography to be seen. Music? None to be heard out here in the open air. It must be in their hearts.
Years ago when my legs were better, my constitution hardier and my moxie more daring, I would come here for an early morning skate on New Year’s Day. Early as in predawn. You won’t catch me jumping into the cold, cold water of a canal, river or lake as those so- called “polar bears” are wont to do, but you would for a start- of- the- year skate.
There was something about the silence, the stillness, the solitude that won me over. I’m sure there still is, but I’m not so much a winning proposition these days.
I still recall watching a young kid, between eight and 10 is my best guess, skate and take shots into an untended hockey net a couple of winters ago. He wore a jersey of the L. A. Kings on his back with faded but still readable letters: Gretzky. He said it had been his dad’s but now it was his to wear. He came to Woodlawn because it was his neighbourhood rink and besides, he liked it better than Chippawa Park rink. I wonder if he is still around, and if so, if he still skates at Woodlawn Bush?
Not surprisingly, it was deserted Wednesday morning when I went to check it out. The ice was chippy in spots but still good to skate. Colder weather is said to be on its way the next few days. I’m feeling a yearning to skate the trails in this idyllic place at least once.
Woodlawn Bush beckons, it’s time to put the camera down, to lace up the skates and pick up a hockey stick, just to show myself I can still do it.
No better spot in the hometown than Woodlawn’s gleaming ribbons of ice.
— Lifelong Welland resident
Joe Barkovich has spent much of that time watching people. He can be reached at whererailsandwatermeet@gmail.com.