COMMUNITY – Volunteers create new outdoor skating oval at Inks Lake
(Image: Nancy Bepple)
There’s a brand new skating oval on Inks Lake thanks to a collaboration between the Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association and Kamloops Long Blades along with other volunteers this past Saturday (Jan. 30, 2021).
In just over three hours, a 400-meter oval was built on the lake. After the track was measured out, a snow blower and a quad with a blade were used to remove most of the snow. Then, 20 or more volunteers shoveled the track to remove the rest.
Holes were punched in the ice and the track was flooded with gas-powered pumps. About 15 kids from the Long Blades were part of building the oval.
(Image: Nancy Bepple)
“Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association wanted to build the track to increase outdoor skating opportunities in Kamloops,” said Nancy Bepple, a co-founder of KOSA.
“Inks Lake is a perfect place for an outdoor track. Especially during COVID, it’s great to have places people can get out and have fun safely.”
James Gordon, another co-founder of the group, thanked those who came out to help build the oval.
“We’re planning on flooding the rink a couple of times over the next few weeks to keep the ice in good shape,” he said.
“If anyone wants to help, such as shoveling or flooding the ice, that would be amazing.”
Head coach Sandi Vyse of the Kamloops Long Blades said the club was very happy to hear from KOSA that an oval was being built.
“We were amazed at how much was accomplished. What’s extra cool is that this year there have been so few chances to get together apart.
“The kids had ownership in creating the oval, and it was extra awesome that the kids were part of creating something so big and so great.”
Great location and best of all – the many volunteers making it happen. Having a skating rink several thousand feet above the Central Kamloops location makes so much sense! Did anyone living in the central Kamloops area notice the rain last night and half of today? Just thinking of having a rink down in the valley bottom makes me shake my head: cost and foolishness of it all! Yet City Council supported this foolish idea some months ago! Did anyone remember reading of it?
I was up there yesterday on my chubby-tyred bicycle going for a wintry ride. It was quite a busy place indeed! I hope those folks also lend a hand in keeping the surroundings clean as I did notice garbage laying around as this area is prone to this sort of vandalism. To be clear, I am sure the garbage does not come from those well-intended people.