City now allowing stick & puck on low-board and neighbourhood rinks

Jan 26, 2021 | 5:20 PM

After a debate at Grande Prairie City Council’s meeting on January 25, Council voted to approve the playing of stick & puck on neighbourhood and low-board outdoor rinks across the city.

The decision was made following feedback from the community on the availability of outdoor hockey opportunities during the pandemic and the safety of properties near the rink.

With stick & puck now being allowed at these rinks, there will be some rules to follow.

In order to protect properties nearby, hockey nets have been regulated to a maximum size of a foot tall, two feet in depth and six feet wide, which enables stick & puck while reducing the probability of causing property damage by raising the puck off the ice.

Volunteers who have set up neighbourhood rinks who would like to obtain an approved hockey net from the City, or who would like their rink to remain skating only, may contact parks@cityofgp.com for assistance.

The following regulations remain in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep everyone on the ice longer:

Outdoor social gatherings are limited to 10 people maximum; it is strongly recommended that activity is limited to members of the same household.
More than 10 people may use an outdoor recreation amenity at one time as long as physical distance is maintained between households.
Members of different households must maintain a two-meter distance at all times
Outdoor activities where two meters distance cannot be maintained are prohibited including competitions, pick-up games and shinny.

A list of available rinks can be found here. Rink regulations will be eased until May 30, 2021.

by Shane Clausing