$1.00 + HST Vol. 27 | No. 2 Thursday, January 20, 2011
Youth thoroughly enjoyed Hockey Day in Bella Coola last weekend
First ever Hockey Day in Bella Coola sees a great turnout SUBMITTED BY ALEX BOILEAU The purpose of Hockey Day in Bella Coola, was to promote healthy active living for all ages, but it was geared mostly for the youth in the Bella Coola Valley. The SAMS Outdoor Education program helped run the BBQ and the proceeds were split between SAMS OE program and the Hockey Rink. What better excuse to get out of the house, into the fresh air after nearly half of meter of snow fell the night before, and go skating.
We really didn’t know if we could pull it off, given the forecast for warm weather and rain but the weather gods must have been smiling, because the cold weather remained for most of the day. Without Troy Gurr’s bobcat we wouldn’t have been able to clear all the snow, and also thanks to the many volunteers who helped out with the rink. A special thank you to Hugh and Wes who shoveled into the night, or put water on the rink when it was thirsty. Thanks also to the SAMS OE and PE students who contributed with
rink maintenance. We had a great turn out throughout the day, with approximately 50 or so people at its peak. We had twelve eager participants in the morning hockey clinic and they displayed great motivation and fun during our drills and practice. Participants were awarded prizes for their hard work and dedication. One of the highlights of the day was the kid’s tournament. Each team had their own jerseys that were donated by the Squamish Eagles hockey organization. It was really nice to
see all the parents, grandparents and friends cheering the players on. At the end of the tournament awards were given out to MVP’s and most sportsmanlike players. The kid’s tournament concluded with the friendly skills challenge. Thank you to the two goalies who played in net (Andrew Christensen and Christian Siwallace) Players were able to test their speed, accuracy, shootout skills and aim. The family skate was quite popular, and we will be extending this portion of the
day next year. The end of the day was quite interesting as freezing rain began to fall. The evening hockey game drew quite a crowd despite the conditions. Slush hockey is not to be taken lightly, it is very hard to move the puck, let alone shoot. It was great because it really leveled the playing field. At one point, we had to clear a two foot by two foot space with a stick to shoot the puck. Garett Newkirk and Gavin Dawson suited up in SEE WEATHER ON PAGE 3