Taking the face-off after the lines were installed on Saturday, February 9, 2019 are volunteers Josh Driver dropping the puck and on the left, Stacy King and Jeff Turney.
The lines are crooked, there are no boards, most times you have to search for pucks.
But there couldn’t be a more perfect hockey rink in Canada made with love and for the love of the community of Castleton by two volunteers.
Jeff Turney and Stacy King don’t see each other for most of the year, but when the snow starts to fall and the cold weather sets in, the pair head to the non-profit, volunteer-run Castleton Sports Club north of Colborne, ON.
During the winter months Turney and King just may see more of each other than their families do!
Both men work in Toronto, but both are giving countless hours back to their community.
The Club is a non-profit organization run by a group of volunteers who run sports programs throughout the year for the community of 300 people.
Both men work in Toronto, but both give back to their community
King who has been volunteering for four years lives in Castleton approximately one kilometre from the rink. Turney who has been volunteering for nearly 15 years lives 11 kilometres away.
Castleton has had many rinks over the course of generations and that’s how the Castleton Sports Club basically got started.
The Club has had one hockey rink for decades, but just last year it has expanded into three rinks.
“We had a pond hockey tournament with 28 teams who played 88 games and we were fortunate that we had a quick rain that helped manage the amount of hockey teams.”
Ages ranged from six to 20-years-old vying for the Castleton Cup.
They soon realized additional rinks were needed.
“We knew it was going to be loaded with kids playing hockey, so we added a third for adults, kids, anybody of any age just to skate.”
One of the rinks is for hockey, with the nets, another rink is for pond hockey, and a third rink is for anyone just wanting to skate.
New this year, is new sport developed in Winnipeg called ‘Crokincurl” which is a mix of curling and the board game Crokinole.
Turney says with the assistance and kindness of the Municipality of Trent Hills and Colborne Home Hardware, Castleton Sports Club has it’s own Crokincurl pad.
The two men maintain approximately 34,000 square feet of outdoor ice surface at least twice a day.
A 8,000 gallon holding tank was donated that fills up with well water.
Through fundraising an Olympia ice-resurfacer was purchased and does the two main rinks. Turney and King drag a hose up a hill to the third rink to flood it by hand.
Adding the blue lines and centre ice to the rink adds that bit of “shine” to the rinks, but depending on the weather, the sun can take its toll on the lines in the ice.
There is a bit of measuring to get the lines in the proper position, but as they lay them across the surface, more than once they’ve realized they aren’t as straight as they would have hoped.
“But that’s ok,” said Turney.
A bucket of hockey pucks sits just off the ice. Most times after players have been practising, you have to climb over the ice covered snow to find them again. But it’s all part of the fun in Castleton.
The main rink has lights on it which used to be old street lights. But this year, with the help of CRH Canada based out of Colborne they have installed led lights which greatly reduce the cost of electricity.
A panel on the side of the building has the switch for the lights and that hometown spirit shines with the last person off the ice turning off the lights each night. It’s the honour system that most people in Canada grew up in, and that still exists in the community.
Everything has been purchased through fundraising and community programs including the Olympia ice resurfacer.
Turney said he enjoys it and finds it very peaceful to flood the ice.
“It’s the setting, it’s the quiet atmosphere. It’s an amazing community to be in.”
Just days ago Turney’s 11-year-old daughter Aly asked him whey he keeps doing it. Holding back the tears, Turney said, “close your eyes, what do you hear? You can hear the kids laughing, you can hear the puck hit the stick. When the kids are out there and having fun, it’s very rewarding. They are off the street, away from a computer and being with their friends and they’ll remember this.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
