Neighbourhood rink in Grande Prairie. Photo Credit: Shane Clausing

By Shane Clausing

Community

Council to explore allowing stick and puck on neighbourhood outdoor rinks

Jan 20, 2021 | 5:00 AM

A Grande Prairie standing committee has asked city administration to bring back the bylaw which regulates the use of outdoor skating rinks to see if there are ways to allow for users to play stick and puck on neighbourhood rinks

The decision to seek options to amend the bylaw, as well as for administration to develop a strategy to allow for relaxed restrictions on outdoor rinks, comes after the standing committee heard a presentation Tuesday morning from a local volunteer who maintains a neighbourhood rink in the city.

The citizen made his presentation seeking ways to properly fit his neighbourhood rink to allow for hockey to be played on it.

This year, because of the hockey season being put on hold, many players are flocking to outdoor rinks to get their hockey fix in. As it stands right now though, only five rinks actually allow hockey and stick and puck to be played on them.

At the meeting, the committee was asked if it can look into adding tall netting behind some of the neighbourhood rinks to avoid having pucks deflect into yards, while also providing further options for those looking to get their “hockey” fix in.

Councilor Dylan Bressey says while he wouldn’t mind seeing stick and puck played on the rinks, it has to be a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, and not just used as another typical hockey rink.

“We should be finding more ways for people to play hockey on our rinks, but at the same time it’s not acceptable to do it in a way where houses are getting hit and people’s safety in their yards is being compromised.”

He adds with the purpose of neighbourhood rinks is to allow for a family-friendly activity, and a full game of shinny hockey is not necessarily conducive to that.

But, stick and puck may be a safer compromise for the hockey community.

“There’s a big difference between a kid learning how to skate, somebody playing shinny and keeping the puck below the knees and somebody taking shooting practice.”

Bressey told EverythingGP that there were two points council members were looking at when discussing the issue at Tuesday’s meeting.

“One of them was to go and make quick changes this season to get people playing hockey through COVID. There were also some councillors who expressed some desire to make some longer-term changes as well.”

Some of those longer-term changes included potentially allowing for stick and puck to be played on the neighbourhood rinks full time. However, that would mean not raising the puck over the net and more allowing for individuals to practice their skills.