A group of locals is campaigning to get the former outdoor skating rink up and running again in Fernie, with plans to form a non-profit society to take care of the ice.
The Fernie Community Rink, located near the Aquatic Centre downtown, has been a well-loved community gathering place since it opened in 2017, but the City of Fernie made the decision to close it last year due to a lack of volunteer support and unseasonably warm weather, which made it difficult to maintain the space.
Following the closure of the Fernie Community Centre, Council subsequently voted to erect a temporary recreational fieldhouse on the rink site, a plan which got significant support from recreational users and groups, whose members formed the Community Centre Working Group to back the idea.
No building projects have occurred yet, and the outdoor rink is still on the site, unused.
Another group of citizens have raised concerns about the closure of the outdoor rink, and are taking steps to bring it back. This group approached council on Feb. 4 to express their concerns. The next day, Feb. 5, they met for a discussion on establishing a non-profit society to take care of the ice.
"That rink needs to stay in Fernie. We need to see the families enjoying it," said group member Mike Johnson.
"You can't beat it. Just looking at everyone's faces and the smiles, from the little tots to the older boys and girls. It's all inclusive, super friendly. It's a real part of the community and should remain so," he added.
Johnson is passionate about local sports. He's president of Fernie Old School Boxing Club and he's also been involved with rugby and freestyle biking at the dirt jumps. He has fond memories of games of shinny on the outdoor rink and has helped clear snow off the ice.
Johnson is not a member of the Community Centre Working Group, but he is supportive of the fieldhouse project, as his boxing club used the former community space to run a charity event.
"Most of us on the ODR [outdoor rink] project are in favour of the fieldhouse project. We're not against it," he said.
Mayor Nic Milligan said he's excited about the community's keen interest in getting the rink running again, and he's looking forward to working with the group to figure out a way to have it operational this season, or relocate it next season.
There may be some roadblocks to getting the rink ready for action in its current location, as the service building that stores the Zamboni and supplies power and water, was closed because it no longer meets building code. According to the City, the building was initially intended to be temporary and was issued a temporary permit, which has expired and can no longer be renewed. The City has plans to remove the structure.
Still, Milligan said he's eager to work with groups to find some sort of solution.
"It was great outpouring of support and enthusiasm," he said. "There's enthusiasm for it in our community and we want to work with folks to make that happen. We want to work with them in a way that protects all the volunteers and protects the users — the people who come by and use it."
The City's decision to close the rink generated controversy on social media, but Milligan said the City was faced with no other option, given the lack of volunteers to maintain the ice.
"Volunteerism has always been a key component of operating the rink," he said. "When it first opened, there was a ton of enthusiasm about getting it running ... As it so often happens, the volunteerism dwindled and dwindled until ultimately there was only one volunteer left who was working to make the ice clear."
Arthur Sombrowski was dedicated to maintaining the ice for many years until he passed away.
Milligan said the City put out a call for volunteers last year, but didn't get a response.
"We got no respondents. We approached community groups, we approached individuals, all our contacts in the community and we got very little uptake," he explained.
Councillor Harsh Ramadass echoed the mayor's sentiments and explained that the rink wasn't able to open last winter, with the weather being so warm, when typically the community has up to 25 skateable days. This further solidified the decision to close the rink.
Johnson said the group is committed to maintaining the ice for as long as the weather permits each season.
"The weather is out of our hands, but when it is good we want to be able to utilize an outdoor rink. If that's 10 days a year or 40 days a year. It doesn't matter," he said.
The group is in the process of forming a non-profit society to help run the rink. Johnson explained that they'd like to be able to get the rink up and running this season in its present location, if possible, and eventually see it moved to another site next winter to accommodate the fieldhouse. He said they've tossed around a few location ideas including James White Park and the land across from the 901 apartments on 2 Ave., but haven't made a decision yet.
Johnson has plenty of experience with this kind of work. His boxing club is a non-profit and he's been running it for 15 years. He said the group is well prepared to take on this challenge, having representation from people with corporate, financial and ice-making expertise.
Currently, the group is focusing on getting the society incorporated and securing insurance, and then they'll return to council to present all their plans. Eventually, they'll focus on establishing a board of directors and appointing specific roles.
Johnson said Clarkson Contracting has agreed to donate money for liability insurance, which will cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000.
Group member Christy Lynn Nguyen told The Free Press that she was pleased with the group's first meeting on Feb. 5.
She stated that it "felt collaborative, productive and an opportunity to feel heard and seen," as they pave the way forward.
"We all want to be heard, and in the same breath we also want so show we are listening," she added.
Support for the rink runs deeper than love for hockey and recreation. It was gifted to the community by the Calgary Flames Foundation to serve as a memorial for the three people who lost their lives in the ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena in 2017.
City of Fernie employees Wayne Hornquist and Lloyd Smith and refrigeration contractor Jason Podloski, from Turner Valley, AB, were found deceased inside the arena.
At the council meeting on Feb. 4, Councillor Tracey Audia-Kelly spoke on the rink's legacy in the community. Audia-Kelly was president of Minor Hockey and a member of the Leisure Services Advisory Board at the time of the arena tragedy, and she was a good friend of one of the men who passed away. As a member of the Outdoor Arena Committee, she helped organize volunteers.
"It was very impactful to our community and we're never going to forget it. I think we're all emotionally attached to the arena, but I think we also have to be cognizant of some of the challenges we're facing right now," she said at the council meeting, referencing the previous shortage of volunteers, and weather challenges.
"We were very lucky to have one very dedicated person who had the time and the equipment to run the rink. I just want people to be aware and not have false expectations," she added.
