The McCauley community rink opened on November 9 thanks to the early cold weather. I don’t remember opening this early in the past 15 years I have been involved. This was a first and we were very excited to open so early. The first day open we were packed with people enjoying the outdoor rink, and it continues to be busy with kids, families, and adults laughing and having fun. I know from talking with my friends that most of them have been discouraged with the cold weather, but when I go down to the rink there is a bunch of kids and adults who can’t wait to get a pair of skates on and hit the ice. I can’t think of anything better for a community than people of all ages having fun together.

The rink is open seven days a week, and everyone is invited to use it. We are always fully staffed with two rink attendants at all times. There is also a rink manager. Staff is there to help you find a pair skates to use and a helmet if needed. They are also there to deal with any incidents, but there are times when things happen that they may not see or cannot prevent. That said, if there are any incidents staff will deal with those involved in a professional manner and the incident will be dealt with appropriately. Staff have the authority to tell anyone to leave the property, and, if the incident is severe, that person or people could be barred from the premises. The rink is there for everyone to use, and it is place that is to be safe and fun. We also ask that you treat the staff with the same respect and kindness that you’d expect from them.

A couple of big events are coming up. The first is the ninth annual McCauley Cup hockey game of the Downtown Division beat cops against the kids. Kids who want to participate in the game don’t have to live in McCauley. The game will be held on December 28 at 1 p.m. There will be food, gift bags and medals for all the kids, and I hear there could be a special guest from the Edmonton Oilers. If you don’t play in the game we encourage you to still come out and cheer on the participants of the game, support the community, and the Edmonton Police Service. There will also be Food Bank boxes for anyone who would like to bring a non-perishable food item.

The second event is the third annual New Year’s Eve Skating Party. This will be from 6-10 p.m. There will be hot dogs, hot chocolate, and a bonfire. Come out and watch the early fireworks that the City of Edmonton sets off. It is an excellent spot to see them.

The last one is the Learn to Skate program that is run by the City of Edmonton. I know a lot of people really like this program and it is open to everyone of all ages. The program starts on January 17, 2018 and will be every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. for six consecutive weeks.

If you have never been to the rink and want to come by for a skate, please stop by and say hello to the staff. Hot chocolate is always on and don’t worry if you don’t have skates or a helmet. Thanks to Sports Central, we have a great selection for you to use and it’s all free. Please like us on Facebook for all updates on events and if we close due to weather (-25 celcius we close): www.facebook.com/mccauleycommunityleague.