EDMONTON- Two northeast Edmonton communities will soon be home to new outdoor rinks, thanks to a partnership between the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) and the Hockey Canada Foundation.
The skating rinks will be re-developed in the Beacon Heights and Beverly Heights neighbourhoods.
The EOCF and the Hockey Canada Foundation each contributed $230,000 to the joint project.
Kevin Lowe, an EOCF board member, says he’s thrilled about the new rinks, which will not only be used by members of the public, but minor hockey teams in the area as well.
“We take pride in being able to give back to the community, helping make it a better place to work, live and in this case, play.”
“We hope these two outdoor rinks provide ample hockey opportunity to hundreds of kids in the coming years,” added Chris Bright, executive director of the Hockey Canada Foundation.
Dozens of community members, including several children, were on hand for the announcement Saturday at Jubilee Park in Beacon Heights. After a short ceremony, the existing rink was demolished by community volunteers.
“It’s tough when you try and operate a rink by just patching things up all the time and just making it work for the year,” said Mark Stephenson, president of the Beacon Heights Community League. “Then the EOCF and Hockey Canada decided to build a new arena in our community, it’s just fantastic. We get a brand new rink and the kids are all excited about it.”
The new Beacon Heights community rink will be ready for skaters to hit the ice this winter. Construction on the the Beverly Heights community rink will begin early next spring.
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