“This idea started at Ed’s Barbershop,” said Craig McCormick during the grand opening of the Springhill & Area Outdoor Skating Rink Friday night in Springhill.
“I overheard some guys talking about how there’s no place to go skating outside anymore and how the arena is often booked up with hockey,” added McCormick. “So my brother and family and I started thinking about what we could do to help make an outdoor arena for people to go skating.”
This year is Ray McCormick & Sons 60th anniversary in business.
“We thought we’d make this an anniversary project to give back to the community,” said McCormick.
McCormick approached Springhill Leisure Services about the project in 2014.
“We talked about where we would do it and how we would do it. We finalized the plans this last summer and choose this location.”
The location is at the top of Lions Park where the old arena used to sit.
“It’s a really good location because it already has the lights, it already has the parking area, and it already has the flat surface, which is here from the old rink that caved in,” said McCormick.
The old concrete pad was broken up, so the McCormick’s resurfaced it in Oct. and Nov. of 2015, so water wouldn’t seep through.
“We made the donation to get it started but these guys have done everything since November to make it operate,” said McCormick.
Helping since November is the Springhill Fire Department filling the rink with water, public works winterizing the fire hydrant, and Leisure Services and members of the Lions Park Revitalization Committee helping with the upkeep.
Joel Stone, of Community Centre Maintenance, and Mark Joseph of the revitalization committee have spent a lot of time flooding the rink.
“They were up here until midnight (Wednesday), and up here at six in the morning (Thursday) checking it,” said Stephanie Moreau, Municipal Physical Activity Leadership Coordinator.
Moreau says hundreds of people have used the rink this winter and hope people keep coming out.
“There’s something about skating outdoors that is very Canadian,” said Moreau. “And the rink is centrally located, it’s close to the community centre and to the park, and it’s a good gathering place for families.”
“This idea started at Ed’s Barbershop,” said Craig McCormick during the grand opening of the Springhill & Area Outdoor Skating Rink Friday night in Springhill.
“I overheard some guys talking about how there’s no place to go skating outside anymore and how the arena is often booked up with hockey,” added McCormick. “So my brother and family and I started thinking about what we could do to help make an outdoor arena for people to go skating.”
This year is Ray McCormick & Sons 60th anniversary in business.
“We thought we’d make this an anniversary project to give back to the community,” said McCormick.
McCormick approached Springhill Leisure Services about the project in 2014.
“We talked about where we would do it and how we would do it. We finalized the plans this last summer and choose this location.”
The location is at the top of Lions Park where the old arena used to sit.
“It’s a really good location because it already has the lights, it already has the parking area, and it already has the flat surface, which is here from the old rink that caved in,” said McCormick.
The old concrete pad was broken up, so the McCormick’s resurfaced it in Oct. and Nov. of 2015, so water wouldn’t seep through.
“We made the donation to get it started but these guys have done everything since November to make it operate,” said McCormick.
Helping since November is the Springhill Fire Department filling the rink with water, public works winterizing the fire hydrant, and Leisure Services and members of the Lions Park Revitalization Committee helping with the upkeep.
Joel Stone, of Community Centre Maintenance, and Mark Joseph of the revitalization committee have spent a lot of time flooding the rink.
“They were up here until midnight (Wednesday), and up here at six in the morning (Thursday) checking it,” said Stephanie Moreau, Municipal Physical Activity Leadership Coordinator.
Moreau says hundreds of people have used the rink this winter and hope people keep coming out.
“There’s something about skating outdoors that is very Canadian,” said Moreau. “And the rink is centrally located, it’s close to the community centre and to the park, and it’s a good gathering place for families.”
