Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
The arrival of cold winter air has made it possible for many small-town natural ice rinks to open for the season.
Domremy’s rink was able to begin welcoming skaters this week and will once again offer the Skate Skills program starting on Jan. 9. The program runs on Friday evenings, starting at 6 pm, with the beginners having a half-hour class, and the juniors having a full hour of instruction. New for this year is the advanced class, which will run immediately after the juniors at 7:00.
Age grouping for beginners includes four to six-year-olds, juniors include seven to ten-year-olds, and the advanced group includes eleven to thirteen-year-olds who may wish for more skill instruction. Registration can be completed online or by texting Stephanie at 306-981-9277. Parents are required to sign up for a minimum of two volunteer shifts per family to help the rink operate.
The skating rink can be rented for private use in three-hour increments for $90. Renters are responsible for scraping the ice after use. Use of the Canteen is not included with rentals. Enquiries should be made to Kyle by calling or texting 306-930-3734.
In St. Benedict, the St. Benedict Community and District Curling Club completed a total rebuild of the curling rink this fall and announced just after Christmas that the rink was ready for rentals.
On August 20th, the Club shared the demolition of the previous rink, and by October 10th, the site was cleaned up, and concrete was poured to extend the rink and make it longer than the old building had been. By Halloween, the walls were being erected, and volunteers continued to show up and give the time they had to bring the project to completion. By December 1, the insulation was being installed in the structure, and all that was left was the interior. One week later, the electrical was complete, and the sand base for the ice was ready and waiting.
To all the volunteers, the St. Benedict Community & District Curling Club Inc. extended its thanks on the Facebook page, saying, “Thank you isn’t enough… We asked, and you showed up. If there was ever a labour of love – this is it.” Continuing with a quote from the 1993 St. Benedict History Book:
People of the community loved the sport and supported the club down through the years with volunteer help, the caretakers, ice makers, the ladies who made countless kettles of soup and homemade pies, the curlers and the spectators. Everyone working together is what has kept our curling rink functioning….
How remarkable, the Club wrote, that this quote still fits nearly 33 years later.
Three bonspiels are currently planned, with the first planned for Jan. 23-25. The Farmers Open Bonspiel has an entry fee of $100 per team and will include a draw-to-the-button contest and cash prizes for first, second, and third place. Then, on Feb. 7, a two-person four-ender spiel is planned. Entry is $20 per person, with cash prizes for the winners.
Feb. 28, in conjunction with St. Benedict’s three-man hockey tournament, the Curling Club has a Ladies Day funspiel planned. Entry for this is also $20 per person, and entries can be made as a team or as an individual; the Club will then place individuals on teams. There is an emphasis on no curling skills being necessary and that regular scoring will not apply.
The rink can be rented at a rate of $100 for two hours, plus a $50 refundable damage/cleaning deposit. For rental information, email stbencurlingrink@gmail.com or call Deena at 306-231-9459 or Hillary at 306-369-7860.
Neither of these village rinks would be possible without the support of volunteers and the community, and not all activities require trips to bigger centres.
