Saskatoon dad’s labour of love is building the best backyard ice rink

Creating the ultimate backyard ice rink has been a labour of love for Saskatoon dad Jeff Clezy.

“It takes us approximately 100 hours of watering time before we can get to working on the final finished surface. Making it look pretty takes a lot of hand labour,” Clezy said Sunday from his home in Willowgrove.

“Scraping, chipping and a lot of hot water.”

READ MORE: Canadians prove backyard rinks won’t become history

Clezy started out making a 10 foot by 20 foot rink years ago, but now it’s grown to 90 feet by 40 feet. This year he’ll be adding side boards and fencing to keep more pucks in his backyard.

“The first month or so is probably the worst time because you’ve got a lot of pulling hoses in a out, moving sprinklers and working on other things,” he added.

“It’s definitely a second full-time job to keep it all going.”

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He’s even made up his own tools to get the job done like an ATV Zamboni and has a mining conveyor belt running from the heated garage to the rink for traction.

But if you ask Clezy’s wife, Glenda, it’s all worth it. Their two sons love the rink and so do their friends.

“It’s a little challenging sometimes that he’s out there quiet a bit working on it. Things get left behind every now and then. But at the same time it’s really fun to have it,” Glenda said.

“The boys have a lot of their buddies come over … They have enough room out there to really enjoy themselves and improve upon their hockey skills,” Jeff explained.

“It’s just a lot of fun, well worth it.”

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“We love after school everyday going back there and just shooting pucks,” 10-year-old Tanner Clezy, said.

READ MORE: Outdoor rinks a staple of Saskatchewan culture

Because of the warm fall, the arena won’t be finished for another week. But on Boxing Day the Clezy’s plan on hosting their annual tournament, which brings together friends and family from as far as California.