Volunteers gather in Oyen for construction of new outdoor rink (photo courtesy Prairie Rose Public Schools)

By Chantal Wagner

back on the ice

Volunteers in Oyen build outdoor rink for the community to enjoy

Jan 25, 2021 | 5:51 PM

OYEN, AB – Cold weather has arrived to make the perfect condition to build outdoor rinks.

In the town of Oyen, the community worked together this past weekend to create one.

It’s also the first outdoor rink in many years for the town.

Principal at Oyen Public School and South Alberta Hockey Academy instructor Jason Duchscherer says the rink started as an idea to get the hockey academy students back on the ice in a safe and law-abiding way.

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Now the whole community will be able to enjoy the ice, including figure skaters and minor hockey players.

Prairie Rose Public School Division and the South Alberta Hockey Academy paid for the rink building supplies.

The rink is located behind South Central High School on Prairie Rose land.

Duchscherer says they want to get kids in the community skating and help lift the spirits of the town.

“It was great to see all the people come together, the whole town came together,” he said. “We had the volunteer fire department, Oyen Minor Hockey which is organized by their president Trent Lyster, business owners, community members who brought out skid-steers, tools, as well as Town of Oyen employees.”

South Alberta Hockey Academy instructor Steven Kuhn says this rink is a great win for the community.

“I know the conversation started to get the hockey academy back going and get those kids out and skating, but when it is a town of around 1,000 people you can’t really look at something individual like that,” Kuhn said. “I can’t thank the school board enough for being on board. It’s everybody pulling the rope in the same direction.”

With a couple more ice floods ahead, the school hopes to have people skating on the ice on Wednesday or Thursday.

The rink is complete with high boards and is 3/4 the size of a full-size hockey rink.

Kuhn says the kids are excited to get back on the ice.

Duchscherer thanks Youngstown Community Association who also donated a little pull-behind flooding machine and scrapers.

Deputy Superintendent of Prairie Rose School Division Reagan Weeks says the division has been looking to work with various communities to see what they can do to establish outdoor rinks to help more students get back on the ice.

Weeks says Foremost has a rink ready to go in their community and the division will be looking to work with the Town of Redcliff and other municipalities to see what they can do for outdoor rinks.