THUNDER BAY — Students and teachers at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School are celebrating the donation of a new year-round outdoor skating rink.
For youth from 24 Northwestern Ontario First Nations who spend months away from home and family to attend DFC, sports programs and other opportunities are that much more important, said Student Success Program coordinator Sean Spenrath.
“They give up so much to come here and get an education, and I think it’s so important that we provide them with these opportunities,” he said.
“You have volleyball, you have broomball, and you have hockey — those are the three main sports up north. When these kids come here, it’s a little piece of home that they get to play hockey.”
The rink, which features a synthetic surface that can be used for skating even in the warmer months, was donated by Jumpstart Charities, associated with Canadian Tire.
Norma Kejick, executive director of the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council, which operates the school, said the rink will aid the school’s efforts to engage students in and out of class.
“If we want our kids to stay safe, to have a good life and stay on that good path, then we need to give them something to do,” she said. “This is what we’re striving for at DFC, so that we have our students feel welcome to the city, that we keep them busy, and we keep them having fun.”
Glenn McLean, regional manager for Jumpstart, called the project a perfect fit for the charity’s mandate to promote equal access to recreation for everyone.
“Often we hear that transportation becomes a barrier, for kids to be able to get to and from an activity. When you can walk out a door 25 feet and you’re on a rink — these kids are going to be able to play anytime throughout the day, anytime throughout the year.”
Jumpstart had helped the school start its hockey program five years ago with donations of equipment and jerseys, Spenrath noted.
If cared for properly, the synthetic ice material can last for decades, he added.
The rink represents exciting new opportunities for students, said DFC teacher Mike Kompon, who coaches its Thunderbirds hockey program.
The program allows students to sign up for a hockey class for credit, skating three times a week and discussing things like nutrition and leadership skills off-ice.
The year-round outdoor rink will be game-changing for the hockey program, he said.
“Our hockey class, that first semester is always a struggle, because we’re here Aug. 20, and Delaney and those rinks don’t open until October, and they have the youth [teams] doing tryouts, so we really don’t get the ice until the middle of October,” he explained.
Students with the DFC Thunderbirds hockey program tested out the surface on Monday during an annual friendly match against a City of Thunder Bay team made up of police and city staff, while city councillors Albert Aiello and Cody Fraser also laced up.
The game, typically held earlier in the year at an indoor rink, was pushed back to coincide with the opening of the outdoor surface.
“Next year, it’ll be even cooler, because everyone will be in t-shirt and shorts playing the annual game,” Spenrath said.
