P.E.I. parents build backyard rink — complete with a Zamboni

Several families banded together to build an ice rink for their neighbourhood. Maria Sarrouh checks out the labour of love

STRATFORD, P.E.I. — On a holiday Monday on Prince Edward Island, some kids spent the day on skates, gliding on the neighbourhood rink built by parents, complete with a Zamboni.

Several teamed up on the project, splitting the labour and costs to turn a patch of land into a private rink for the neighbourhood - free for the community of about 100 children and their friends who use it.

“It’s pretty large for a backyard rink,” said nine-year-old Sully Dalziel.

“It’s huge,” added 10-year-old Jack Holland.

Parents estimate the project cost a little over $10,000, divided between the group, though they describe it as a rough estimate. They also say it took about 50 to 60 hours of work for each family, spread out over different stages of preparation.

The work included building modular wooden boards with panels designed to come down and go back up each season. They also needed a liner before flooding the surface. Island Coastal Services, a civil construction contractor, helped level the ground.

This is the rink’s second season, and it’s now approximately 90 feet by 120 feet, about twice the size it was last year.

“They jokingly say that I’m the foreman,” said Joseph White, who spent time researching the design. “But we’ve got a great group of dads, and we all worked together to get it built.”

It’s become a place to play and meet up for the community.

“You just get to skate around with your friends,” said nine-year-old Rosa Dalziel.

“It’s a fun way to hang out,” said 11-year-old Jude Horne.

“You can spend time with your friends and family,” added nine-year-old Finn Horne.

“After school, it’s a lot of fun too, when it gets dark,” said 12-year-old Lachlan Gillan.

Even after the sun goes down, the ice stays busy thanks to LED lights, a newer addition that has helped extend skating into the evening.

Last February, the families again chipped in to buy a second-hand Zamboni to keep the ice fresh.

They purchased it at auction in northern New Brunswick for just over $10,000, then painted and serviced it.

“It’s been working like a charm ever since,” said Chris Dalziel. He added the dads take turns running it.

“One of us will house the Zamboni in our garage for the week, and pretty much every evening, we just go out and do a quick flood,” he said.

Parents say it’s also a way to get their children outside.

“It brings us all together, especially this time of year when it’s cold and not a lot of people want to be outside,” said Nick Holland. “It gives the kids something to do and gets them away from the screens.”

It helps that for some, the ice is just down the street.

“My house is down there, a couple houses down,” said nine-year-old Gus White, gesturing up the road.

Parents say they plan to keep making upgrades, including adding more mesh around the outside and better benches, so the rink gets better every season.