When athletes from across Canada converge on the outdoor ice oval at Exhibition Park for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, they'll have a group of dedicated volunteers to thank.
Through sweat equity and a commitment to get things done, the Outdoor Ice Oval is a labour of love for the people who give up their time and brave the cold every year to make that ice surface possible.
A key element in that ice-building process is the Zamboni ice machine, which scrapes the ice and resurfaces it with a warm-water flood, leaving a 400-metre track that's as smooth as glass. Until this fall, that machine had to be stored indoors at CN Centre or the Kin Centre, which meant restricted access for the oval ice crew. Now, as a result of joint initiative between the oval volunteers, service groups, the business community and the City of Prince George, the Zamboni is being stored in its own heated garage.
The $11,000 project was made possible by cash donations from Integris Credit Union ($6,000) and the Rotary Clubs of Prince George ($5,000). Home Building Centre and Carrier Lumber each donated construction material. A group of 10 volunteers prepared the ground and paid for a concrete finisher to get the garage started, then supplied all the labour to get it finished. The city supplied the space, the power and the heat for the building.
"It was eight weekends of volunteer work, a few weekends of odds and ends and we finally got it done," said Kathy Lewis, chair of the Outdoor Ice Oval committee. "The city has been awesome working with us and providing power as we were building it. If we had not done it with volunteer labour it would have at least been a $25,000 project."
The garage is located right next to Kin 3, where Zamboni driver Lyle Dickieson has access to warm water. The oval water truck for flooding and two bobcats used for clearing snow are stored in the livestock barns just north of the Kin Centre.
"The barn's not heated and of course, the Zamboni, with the water running through it, has to be heated," said Lewis. "It makes Lyle's life so much easier. If we have to work on the other equipment we can pull the bobcats into the garage because it's heated and has a good light source. We can do all of our maintenance work in there and Lyle doesn't have to fight to clear ice blockages from the Zamboni.
"If this oval is going to continue to be maintained by volunteers, we have to pay attention to how easy it is to do their jobs."
Lewis said there are enough volunteers to keep the ice maintained but the committee would like to round up more people to help with snow clearing.
The oval opened to the public for the season on Nov. 27. Skaters are welcome to try it out from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Lights are turned on at 4 p.m.
Fees are based on an honour system with a collection box located next to the changing tables. Cost is $2 per skater or $5 for a family of three or more.
"I'm already getting comments from people that the ice is in incredible shape, it's indoor ice quality outside and a lot of that is because of the Zamboni," said Lewis.
