Editor:
It takes a village to raise a child. We need families to be a village. Sadly there is little hope of the Sunshine Coast Skating Club (SCSC) or minor hockey surviving with only six months of ice per year if we as a community don’t support them.
I say “our children” even though my own are long grown. Six months of ice is not enough for our young hockey players and figure skaters.
This past winter, I was privileged to volunteer with the truly passionate and dedicated professional coaches of the SCSC. It was great to see our young skaters take their first steps on the ice. The families were amazing, but it is a lot to carry fundraising and getting kids to the arena.
Many of those children’s parents are helping professionals who we need to remain in our community. As an RN, I would have moved with my children to another community in order to make sure they had the opportunities that other towns provide.
Our skaters and hockey players are so terribly disadvantaged from other communities by the restriction of ice for a mere six months of the year.
Last week there were probably 100 seniors playing pickleball in the Sechelt arena. The beauty of pickleball is that it can be played almost anywhere. We do not need to play in an ice arena.
I am one of the 55 per cent who are over 55. This is my challenge to other seniors. Play pickleball, have fun. Now take that energy you have from being fit and support ice 10 months a year for our children. Volunteer as a coach or fundraiser. This is small town Canada. Our children deserve opportunities to skate, play hockey and live the Canadian experience.
Julie Chambers, Halfmoon Bay
