Everyone in town owns a piece of this outdoor rink in Gander Bay
CBC
A brand-new outdoor rink in the community of Gander Bay cost about $100,000 to build — but the brains behind the project say the local buy-in has been even bigger.
David and Krista Blake, two residents of the Newfoundland community, dreamed of the rink several years ago. They brought it to the area's local service district and formed a committee. Since then, the couple say the community has rallied around them and embraced the project at every step.
"When we were building it, we said, you know, we need to get ownership, we need people to own this. So we had young kids from eight years old and people right up to 80 years old here helping," said David Blake.
"The were wheeling wheelbarrows and bringing lumber and doing everything as we were building. So now everyone owns it, everyone had a part of it."
Three years ago, the area was filled with trees. Now, it's an enclosed rink with boards, ads, a warm-up shack and a fire pit. The rink is fitted with timed outdoor lights, and sometimes skaters stay out until well after dark.
Krista Blake says volunteers have been donating snacks and hot chocolate, used hockey equipment for the children.
The rink is located just across from Riverwood Academy, the area's K-12 school, which makes it a popular after-school hangout.
Tom Gillingham, the chair of the local service district, says it's been a hit among students and their parents.
"I think it's one of the best things we've had around here because it takes kids away from spending too much time on electronics and things, and gives them something better to do," he said.
See the sights and sounds of the outdoor rink in our video player below.
"I give all the praise in the world to David and Krista Blake. Their idea, they started it … they haven't looked back, and they've put in hundreds of hours," said Gillingham.
The rink opened for the first time in late January, and David says since it's been full with kids, his fundraising efforts are getting even more attention.
His ambition isn't satisfied yet: He wants to add more to the area, and maybe even cover the rink completely, to better shelter it from the elements and keep it consistently flooded.
Blake was born in Gander Bay, and returned to live there again after a stint working in Alberta and in Ontario.
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