She may be new to skating, but that isn’t stopping Charlotte West from hitting the ice at Alexander Communtiy Centre’s outdoor rink in Nepean.
“This is my second time here,” West said. “I’ve tried three times. Without here I couldn’t learn, it was too hard.”
West is part of a group taking skating lessons with a program called “I Love to Skate,” run by the Ottawa Senators Community Foundation and the city of Ottawa.
In addition to free skate lessons, every child received their very own helmet and ice skates.
“We have a lot of outdoor rinks in the city of Ottawa and it brings equipment to them, and it brings the program to the communities,” said Kristy Hardinan, a recreation supervisor with the city.
Established in 2010, the goal is to provide youth who may not have access to opportunities like the rink where they can learn new skills and hopefully one day, try them on a bigger stage.
“It brings them confidence,” said Earl Jones, the program coordinator with the Alexander Community Centre. “Once you’ve gone through this program, the big thing is being able to skate on the canal.”
Last year because of COVID-19, the program was cancelled. But this year’s return allowed the group to serve youth at the Alexander Community Centre and Foster Farm Community Centre.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” said former Ottawa Senators player Marc Methot. He and Brad Smyth, also a former Senator, were on hand to teach kids the basics and offer their expertise on the ice.
“Just encouraging kids to get a little physical activity can work wonders for them.”
As the sun set on Thursday’s skate session, many walked away with more than just skating tips under their belt. They had memories to last a lifetime.
