COLD LAKE - When winter arrives in Cold Lake, so does the magic of a lovingly maintained skating rink on Cold Lake, near Kinosoo Beach. It’s a community treasure made possible by Pete Philips and the help of other community members.
For the past few years, Philips has taken it upon himself to ensure that the outdoor rink remains a place where families can gather, skate, and enjoy the outdoors.
“I like to encourage people to get outside and do outdoor activities,” Philips says, standing near the rink he works tirelessly to maintain. “There’s a little too much screen time these days, and I hope for people to spend more quality family time together.”
The journey of caring for the rink began as a joint effort between Philips and his neighbour.
“We started a few years ago. And different people have jumped in. This is not a me-only project,” he says, emphasizing that the rink truly is a community effort.
Labour of love
Philips’ dedication to the rink is fueled by his love of the outdoors, not necessarily a passion for skating or hockey.
“I can barely skate. I don't watch hockey. I don't play hockey,” he admits. “I just like people to be outdoors.”
His goal is simple - to create a welcoming space for the community to enjoy.
But maintaining the rink is no small task. Philips relies on warm water in a tub trailer to flood the surface and create the smooth ice that skaters prefer.
“You'll see me start going around, and it'll make it like a skating rink,” he explains.
From shoveling snow by hand to sweeping and flooding the area, the process can be grueling, especially after a heavy snowfall.
“A big snow, I hope the plows come in here as well. Then it has to be done with a shovel, then a sweeper, then the flood,” he says. “I don't have a plow for my quad, so I have to shovel by hand or sweep.”
Community effort
Philips is quick to credit others for their contributions to the rink’s upkeep.
“This is a community project. People shoveled for me today. They saved me over an hour of time. That was amazing. I love it,” he says.
“People thank me all the time when they see me out here. I think it's amazing. I like it when people pitch in. Even just by keeping the garbage away,” he adds.
Philips expresses deep gratitude for everyone who has contributed to the rink's upkeep, including those he hasn't met.
“All these people have pitched in, and there’s probably many more that I don’t know about," he says. He also acknowledges the nearby skating trail, maintained by someone else, as another valuable community effort.
Here’s the revised version:
Philips efforts to protect the rink go beyond maintenance. This year, he marked the area to deter snow machines from driving over the surface. “I just added the markers this year to try to keep the snow machines away so they can identify and not drive over the surface. Because a lot of damage can happen to them,” he explains.
Call to action
Philips message to the community is simple, “Come out, pick up a shovel if you see it needs shoveling, and pick up any garbage you might see, or pick up after your pets. Let’s just all respect it.”
Despite the challenges, Philips remains dedicated.
“I hope Mother Nature is nice to me in the freeze-up. And then we work from whatever we’re given,” he says. “I just want people to come out and enjoy it.”
