Outdoor ice ready for Kahnawa’kehró:non
Skating enthusiasts in Kahnawake can rejoice, as the outdoor ice surface near the old site of K1037 is ready to use, with the second one in the New Development on the way soon.
“When it comes to outdoor rinks, we are at the mercy of the weather, so they are ready now because the weather is perfect,” said Roiatate Horn, director of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s Sports and Recreation Unit.
Horn said that during the holiday season, there was an attempt to get the ice ready, giving two days of skateable ice - before the late-December rain melted it away.
This week had multiple days of freezing temperatures, which meant making viable ice surfaces possible.
But it is not just as easy as running a hose for a few hours when it is cold out to make everything ready.
“What normally happens is we need a few days of subzero temperatures so that the asphalt is cold enough to freeze water,” said Horn. If the long-range forecast is leaning that way, that is the time to put the water down.
“The guys then clear out any snow and debris, before watering small layers at a time,” said Horn. Each layer needs to freeze before another can be added, and from five to 10 layers are needed to put in enough ice to skate on.
According to Horn, right now, the ice is good enough to skate on but still needs some smoothing out to make it ideal for a game of hockey, which will be done in the upcoming days.
Even with the ice ready, it still needs watering, in the morning and at night.
“Some of the guys are doing overtime in the cold weather to make that happen. I’m so happy that they have the passion to work outdoors in this cold weather, in the morning and late evening, and I just want the community to know that Sports and Recreation has passionate workers that want to bring fun to the community,” said Horn.
The other thing Horn wants the community to know is to remember to be mindful of others when using the ice.
“We just want everyone to respect the neighbours. The rinks are in residential areas, so we ask that they keep the noise down, and that they don’t launch pucks and sticks on private property,” said Horn.
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“And on the ice, to remember that the ice is shared. If you are playing a game, just remember that not everyone is there for hockey, it is a shared space. Everyone needs to respect each other’s shared uses of the surface.”
Finally, even if one is being active, they need to remember to be equipped for their own safety, both to prevent injury and to keep them guarded against the cold.
“While there are no rules for equipment, we encourage people to wear helmets and have the proper equipment,” said Horn. “And, even if you are moving, you need to stay warm, dress for the weather, even pack a warm drink in a Thermos to keep yourself warm and prevent frostbite or other cold-related things.”
