It's a team effort to keep kids of all ages on the ice in Schumacher.
The Schumacher outdoor rink is open for its second winter.
Bill Gvozdanovic, Timmins City Councillor for Ward 3, has spearheaded the project since being approached by one of his constituents last year to get the rink back up and running after several years without it.
Located at Schumacher Public School, the rink is maintained entirely by the local community. Gvozdanovic and his son Brock are among the volunteers who help with shovelling. Several of the other shovellers, including his son, are on the autism spectrum, a point of pride for Gvozdanovic.
Gvozdanovic says the public has been very receptive, donating their time — and the use of their snowblowers, after particularly heavy snowfalls — to maintain the rink. He says that while
The rink tends to be busy on holidays, he hopes to see more usage in the future.
“We’d like it to be used a little bit more. We noticed on PD days it’s a little bit busy, but we want to see families and especially kids get out and play. That’s the whole idea behind the rink. There’s a lot of volunteer work that goes into it and it’s there to provide the opportunity for kids to go skate,” Gvozdanovic says.
“Just get off the couch, put your skates on, and go skate. Get out of the house, get some fresh air and good exercise. It’s good for you all around. You can’t argue with exercise and going out.”
While the outdoor rinks maintained by the City of Timmins are closed for the season, others that are up-kept by community volunteers continue. To make up for the city rinks being closed, indoor public skating is free until March 31.
