16°c Clear
28°c Isolated showers
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Frozen feet, fond memories
The rink ritual brings joy to this Prairie girl
Phil Hossack / Winnipeg Free Press Shelley Ringland at the Roblin Park Community Club�s skating rinks.
We are fortunate to belong to a group that shares Jets season tickets. Our seats are in the very last row of the third tier so we have a bird's-eye view of the whole facility.
Not only can we watch the game, but we can watch the fans, too. With each pass of the puck we all lean forward in our seats as one entity. There is the collective intake of breath, then a chorus of cheers or a unified groan. A moving mass of Jets jerseys, with the occasional opposition colours (received with good-natured competitive camaraderie, of course), add flavour to the crowd dynamics. While I truly enjoy the venue, it is merely one example of my favourite place.
The ideal of my favourite place is more deeply rooted in being a Prairie girl born and raised. There is no doubt some of my greatest memories are tied to winter. I belong to a three-generation hockey family. We are blessed with the unique experience not everyone in Canada can enjoy -- the outdoor community club rink.
When my family was young, the most exciting thing about December was not just the holiday season, it was the arrival of outdoor ice. It has been a December ritual through my son's childhood and now my grandson's to drive by the community club on a daily basis to see the progress for flooding the rink. The anticipation ran high for that first outdoor skate and the call out to friends to "meet at the rink."
Throughout the winter there were drive-bys to see if the lights were on and the "shack" was open. The kids would play shinny with whomever was there and would not come home until the place closed down for the night regardless of how cold it was.
Many a winter weekend was spent at outdoor hockey tournaments that seemed to land on the coldest weeks in recorded history. There wasn't a Sorel boot or thermal sock that could keep my feet from freezing before the third period of any game. Spectators would stand huddled together like frozen herring along the boards, not wanting to miss any of the action and perhaps hoping to scavenge some meager heat from the person beside them.
My son is a grown man now and drives himself to the rink. My oldest grandson is at an age where his hockey games are indoors. However, grandson No. 2 has carried around a mini stick in each hand since he learned to walk this winter, so I predict the rink ritual will resume in a not-too-distant winter.
Until then, sometimes when I step outside into a clear winter night, I stand quietly for a minute to listen for the scrape of skate blades, the ring of a slapshot and the chatter of children resonating through the crisp air from the outdoor rink two blocks away.
"The rink" isn't just a place, it is an experience.
Shelley Ringland is mother of three amazing grown children and grandma to two incredible grandsons. She and her husband Tim are passionate hockey grandparents and Jets fans. She works as a nurse in Winnipeg.
Do you have a
favourite place in Winnipeg?
We'd like to hear about it. There are no prizes to be won,
but if you're published, you get to bask in the admiration of your friends and feel the glow that comes from doing something nice for your city.
Email your story to dave.connors@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 17, 2013 A8
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More Life & Style
- Back to Top
- Return to Life & Style
Poll
Most Popular Life & Style
- Just for kicks: shoe swap hits town
- 'WhatsApp Messenger' top paid iPhone app in Canada
- Make it look natural; companies work to make packaged foods appear homespun
- Bark in the park more than a lark
- Airborne laser spots ancient city complex of roads, canals hidden under dense Cambodian forest
- U.S. court upholds Canadian company's patent for couples vibrator
- Even elite athletes sometimes feel depressed after completing a marathon
- Pets of the week
- B.C. says hikers can depend on mobile maps in woods, but rescue group concerned
- The old wooden church
- Even elite athletes sometimes feel depressed after completing a marathon
- Apple's big week
- Just for kicks: shoe swap hits town
- Make it look natural; companies work to make packaged foods appear homespun
- Study shows commonly prescribed statin drugs and some antibiotics can interact
- Small-town Ohio police chief gives quick repercussion for criminals through Facebook floggings
- Ontario workers who fear chemical made them sick told to file claim
- Doctors say public purse and public health at risk because of government cuts
- More than 400 people ordered to leave homes in Fort McMurray due to flooding
- The old wooden church
- Deadly liver cancer on the rise, but half of cases preventable: Cancer Society
- Climate change keeping early birds from getting worms: study
- Overabundance of carp threatening ecosystem at Saskatchewan's Wascana Lake
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- Carb-loading and sports drinks: debunking marathon myths
- Two dead, one injured after helicopter crashes north of Fort McMurray, Alberta
- You can't break bad eating patterns, but you can modify them to your advantage
- Magazine's creator says style has no size
- Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the controversial abortion rights crusader, dead at 90
- The end of the credit card?
- Just for kicks: shoe swap hits town
- The old wooden church
- Make it look natural; companies work to make packaged foods appear homespun
- Study shows commonly prescribed statin drugs and some antibiotics can interact
- 'WhatsApp Messenger' top paid iPhone app in Canada
- Bark in the park more than a lark
- Study shows commonly prescribed statin drugs and some antibiotics can interact
- Even elite athletes sometimes feel depressed after completing a marathon
- The old wooden church
- Yaz and Yasmin pills linked to 23 deaths, say Health Canada documents
- Adrenal fatigue can have significant impact
- Turks and chaos
- Groin soreness sign of testicular cancer
- Website helps Parkinson's patients avoid protein-medication interaction
- Poor preschooler eating habits can raise cholesterol, set stage for heart disease
- Make it look natural; companies work to make packaged foods appear homespun
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- Cramping their style
- Specialist moving to Toronto after 23 years at cutting-edge sleep lab
- Markdown maven tells world of Winnipeg deals
- Carb-loading and sports drinks: debunking marathon myths
- Iron overload often missed diagnosis for heart problems
- You can't break bad eating patterns, but you can modify them to your advantage
- Yaz and Yasmin pills linked to 23 deaths, say Health Canada documents
- His nose knows: City perfume maker can concoct your personal aroma
- Genealogical searches connect present to past
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.