There’s snow on the ground as I write this month’s column, so it seems appropriate to be sharing some of the McCauley Community League’s plans for the winter.

As you may know, the annual Fall Fiesta was cancelled this year, due to poor weather. It was a difficult decision to make but, after postponing it for a week in hope of better weather, we ultimately decided it wasn’t going to be feasible this year. The combination of cold and rain, two Saturdays in a row, meant few people would be in attendance and those who did show up might not have much fun.

At the time, we promised an alternative event to make up for the cancellation. Instead of just one event, we’re hosting several. The first was the Halloween warm-up in the friendship garden next to the Boys and Girls Club. I’m sure parents accompanying our neighbourhood’s littlest trick-or-treaters appreciated the opportunity to warm up by the fire as they made their way around the community.

“Warming up” might well be the theme of the events we’ll be hosting throughout the winter months.

Throughout the winter, we’ll be heading to the tobogganing hills just west of Commonwealth Stadium with hot chocolate and other goodies for kids and families out for a sled. These events will be weather dependent, but we’re hoping to have volunteers out for a couple of hours most Saturdays in December and January. We’re also planning to have at least one big tobogganing party on the hills this winter; stay tuned for more information.

Of course, these winter-warmer events aren’t all the league has going on during the winter. November means the start of rink season, which many in McCauley look forward to all year long. Weather permitting, the rink will be open every day until late March, with the exception of holidays. The rink closes if the temperature reaches -25 or colder (including windchill), if there is a snowstorm, or if warm weather creates poor ice conditions.

The rink is available to anyone in the community, free of charge, and there are skates and helmets you can borrow at no cost. If you’re new to the neighbourhood, or if you’ve never visited the rink, we really encourage you to check it out. If Giovanni Caboto Park is the heart of McCauley in the summer, the rink fills that role during the winter. We hope to see you there!

Adam is the Secretary of the McCauley Community League.