All I can say about the last few weeks of January is, “wow.” There was a ton of snow that came down and that meant a lot of work to be done at the rink. Between the snow and machines breaking down it was very challenging. Good luck trying to find an auger belt for a snow blower in January.

Then we had our challenges in February with the very warm weather and then very cold. We have been able to keep the ice in good condition but that means the rink has to be closed on the warmer days. The weather is looking very good for the annual Family Day skating party and we will have more about that event in the April edition of the paper.

There is much good news to report regarding programs at the rink. The community of McCauley has been approved for a grant of $5000 from the “Every Kid Every Community” through Hockey Alberta. This is a project that E4C will be running next winter in partnership with the McCauley Community League.

The idea behind the project “Every Kid Every Community” is to make the game of hockey more accessible to kids across Alberta. Hockey can be an expensive sport for most families, and we need to have equipment for the kids to sign-out such as pants, shin guards, elbow pads, helmets, and proper gloves.

Another program for the rink is “Hockey For Kids,” a pilot program in partnership with two Community Service learning student placements from the University of Alberta.

Also, we will be getting two new high quality goalie nets. We are grateful to Hockey Alberta for this grant which gives us the opportunity to help kids in the area. A big thank-you to E4C’s David Proden for all his hard work in putting this project together and all the hard work he continues to do with our skating programs in McCauley.

Another program for the rink is “Hockey For Kids,” a pilot program in partnership with two Community Service learning student placements from the University of Alberta. This project is geared towards kids aged 5-12 and is meant to be an introduction to hockey for kids who may not otherwise get a chance to play on hockey teams in the city. The program is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30-6:30 p.m. It is absolutely free of charge, and kids who don’t have equipment can get help accessing free gear from Sports Central. E4C’s David Prodan is working with the U of A students this winter to develop a program template which would then enable community volunteers to run the Hockey for Kids program.

In mid-February, Hockey Alberta held a hockey jamboree at the McCauley Rink to celebrate our “Hockey for Kids” program. Kids from around the neighbourhood and from several Boys & Girls Clubs were at the rink for skating lessons and skill building workshops, complete with a free lunch, professional coaches, and free jerseys for the participants.

For any further information about programming or if you have any unwanted hockey equipment that you would like to donate please give me a call at (780) 729-4363.