Kerri Dolomount loves having an ice rink right in her hometown where she can bring her kids to have a skate.
The teacher and mother of three takes the children to the community skating rink in Robinsons whenever the weather co-operates.
Having to shovel snow from the outdoor rink prior to skating or playing some scrimmage hockey doesn’t bother her or the kids: Sadie, 11 years old; Bella, nine; and seven-year-old Brock, at all.
“It’s a great warmup, especially if its cold outside,” she said.
All her kids, who are also involved in Stephenville Minor Hockey, like the fact it is so close. Usually they want to go after school and it’s a good extra for them.
Although Dolomount hasn’t been involved in the planning or execution of getting the rink built, she’s proud of all those in the community who made it a reality.
She has volunteered some of her own time helping when called upon.
Dolomount said the rink is proof of what can be accomplished by the work of a lot of dedicated community volunteers during the past five years, along with financial support from a community healthy living fund.
Joanie Barry, a member of the committee, said getting the rink done is a great accomplishment that young and old alike can use.
“It was great to see the community come together on this with a lot of people working at it. It was definitely a group effort,” she said.
It was thanks to donations from local businesses and residents that the project slowly gained ground and moved forward.
The rink is always open to the public but clearing of the surface is only guaranteed when scheduled skates and/or hockey is planned.
It all became possible with the support of many volunteers that helped since the project began, including the Bay St. George South Volunteer Fire Department, who have graciously flooded the rink surface every year.
Organizers said Scott Reid, MHA for St. George’s – Humber, was also instrumental in campaigning for the rink project to receive funding.
Bay St. George South rink development:
2014 – Project started by Bay St. George South Area Development Association and a dedicated group of community volunteers.
2014 to 2016 – Group was able to achieve success in creating an outdoor skating rink measuring 58-feet by 94-feet in Robinsons on a reused foundation of a storage building.
2017 – Bay St. George South Recreation and Wellness Committee received funding from the Department of Children, Senior and Social Development Community Healthy Living Fund to purchase skating and hockey equipment and build a storage building/warm-up shelter measuring 15-feet by 35-feet.
2018 – Committee received funding from the same healthy living fund of $10,000 to purchase and install rink boards to fully enclose the rink area and increase safety of skaters.
2019 – Official Opening of the community skating rink planned for Feb. 24 (1-4 p.m.).
Source: Bay St. George South Area Development Association
