It’s hard to believe the skating program is coming to a close. I will miss hearing the hoots and howls of kids who have just scored a goal or the laughter during a rousing game of “manhunt”. February was busy at this “gem” we call the McCauley skating rink. 601 people came out in February to skate and this doesn’t include Family Day. The rink was closed for six days and it was all due to weather conditions. The numbers for the 2012/13 skating season were remarkable and our community should be very proud of how well this facility has been run and operated. Thanks to the KIDS (Kids Inner City Development Society) for their support throughout the season. KIDS is a newly formed society, led by Al Hamilton and Father Jim Holland, formed especially for the rink. It has also been the group that has been fundraising, repairing the rink and paying the majority of operating costs at the rink.

On February 2, members from the KIDS committee met with the President of the McCauley Community League, Rob Stack, and Secretary, Meredith Porter. The purpose of the meeting was for the two groups to sit down and work together on future endeavors with regards to the skating rink, the land, and the future building. In getting the permit for the trailer, the MCL signed an agreement with the City to ensure a building would happen within five years, and the KIDS group is willing to make this happen. The MCL invited the KIDS committee to attend their next board meeting on February 21 to do a presentation. Unfortunately, this meeting was cancelled and will not happen until after the MCL AGM in March. At that point, the KIDS group will get a chance to do a presentation and clear up any misconceptions that the MCL expressed in the March issue of BMC News.

Another new improvement to the rink is the addition of an outdoor sound system. On March 4, AXE music came out to the rink and installed the music system. It means we can listen to Oilers hockey games or music while we skate. What a wonderful addition and a long time dream come true. A big thanks goes out to E4C McCauley Apartments and its program manager, David Prodan, for applying for and receiving this wonderful grant. Also, another big thanks to McCauley Revitalization for the grant money. I can’t forget to thank the KIDS Society for purchasing the am/fm receiver and the cordless microphone system.

I saved the best for last: our annual Family Day skating rink party. What a day! Over two hundred folks came out on a chilly day to spend their Family Day in McCauley. There were plenty of hotdogs, hamburgers, hot chocolate, marshmallows and many other treats to go around. The bonfire was a needed source this year not only to roast marshmallows, but also to stay warm. I know the community is very grateful for the trailer that has been donated by Northgate Trailers but we have definitely outgrown it. The trailer was busting at the seams with kids and families looking for a place to sit down and tie their skates or munch on a burger. I look at this as a good problem for our community, one that can be fixed by building a larger, permanent structure. After all the success of the rink this year I couldn’t imagine anything better than a new beautiful building to host our Family Day event, as well as our skating program and other events year round.

Another Family Day hit was the sleigh rides. The sleigh was packed all day long with kids and families. Hearing the horses trotting down the streets of McCauley with kids laughing, warms the heart, in spite of the cold. Thank you to Longriders for the great service. Also a big thank you to Game-On Sports for the wonderful gift bags for the kids that included an Oilers T-shirt, pictures, and other fun stuff. Thanks to David Prodan from E4C McCauley Apartments, who came out and took care of the music, and for all his hard work promoting the event. This was a huge event and it was wonderful to see all the kids and families out having fun.

More big thanks to the following people for making the day a success: The Edmonton host Lions Club and the City of Champions Lions Club for not only donating all the hotdogs and hamburgers but also for cooking it all up; McCauley Community League; the KIDS Society; Kirk Kozakewich, owner of Nameo Sobeys, for coffee and donuts; Al Hamilton; Father Jim Holland; Ted Green; Grace Kuipers; and, Lyle Kulchisky (Sparky) and his wonderful team of workers. We couldn’t make this event so successful without all of you. I would also like to thank everyone who came out to this event and helped make it so much fun.