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Problems are mounting for rink coordinators in Saskatoon as theft and vandalism has become a discouraging trend, leaving some to consider if their work is worth it.
Volunteers spend hundreds of hours each year working on community rinks so each neighbourhood has something for kids to skate on.
Massey Place Outdoor Rink coordinator Ron Georget says the thefts, vandalism and even potential arson have left him frustrated.
“You do all of this (work) just to have somebody and wreck it,” said Georget.
“We had a fire in late summer, early fall, so there was about an eight foot section .. where the puck board was melted and all the boards were burned.”
In the summer of 2023, the rink had a similar fire issue.
“We had another section that was burned,” said Georget. “Kids starting fires, we believe.”
Georget has been running the rink for over a decade, and basically rebuilt the facility for the community.
“Our rink was in poor condition when I took over 12 years ago,” said Georget. “We had old boards, old lights, there was lots of graffiti.”
The rink’s storage shed was broken into in January resulting in a snowblower and a backpack snowblower being stolen, as well as damage to a back-up snow blower.
Damage to the Massey Place Outdoor Rink storage shed after a break-in in January. (Ron Georget/Submitted)
This resulted in a loss of equipment valued at around $3,500.
The rink has a tin shed, so Georget asked the city if they could upgrade to a C-can (shipping) container, but his request was denied.
“I know other rinks have C-cans so I don’t know how those communities got permission, but we got denied,” he said.
Most conversations Georget has with the city end up being short-lived, he says.
“The response that you get is that these are things that can be purchased through your rink operating grant,” said Georget.
But Georget said the city hasn’t increased the grant size since he started running the rink. The city provides a matching grant of up to $400 for community associations to help pay for their utilities.
Massey Place Outdoor Rink records were tossed around after a shed break-in. (Ron Georget submitted)
Georget said he wants to see the city help out community rinks more, so that they have a better chance to thrive.
“I feel like the initiative should be coming from them in saying ‘We have the resources, we have the electricians… we can do a bulk purchase of cameras’,” he said. “As opposed to every association working individually.”
Georget believes this would make things more efficient and allow rink coordinators to make sure they are abiding by city bylaws when it comes to security.
“When you have to jump through 10 hoops to figure out what you can or can’t do it’s discouraging,” he explained.
“That’s the deterrent for a lot of people — why am I going to jump through 10 hoops when I’m probably going to get denied at the end anyways?”
Georget said he’s really thankful for the group of volunteers who help him out with the rink and hopes to see even more people across Saskatoon help out with the rinks in their neighbourhoods.
650CKOM has asked the City of Saskatoon for a comment, but none had been received at the time of publication.
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