The Town of Altona Recreation Department has announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at enhancing youth hockey and skating skills in the community.
Numerous ice times from now until the end of the arena season will be available at no charge for children aged 18 years and under, providing an inclusive opportunity for skill development and recreational enjoyment.
This initiative was developed in partnership with Altona Minor Hockey and the Altona Skating Club. After extensive discussions with representatives from both organizations, it was decided that offering free ice time to all youth in the community would foster an equitable environment for skill enhancement.
“This initiative is designed to be as inclusive as possible,” says recreation services manager Eric Hildebrand. “I really want to commend the user groups for their collaborative efforts to make this happen.
“A lot of different options were discussed but ultimately we landed on some terms that all parties could agree on, such as the ice times being a minimum of one-hour slots between the hours of 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, with exceptions being made on days where there are no classes in the Borderland School Division.”
Other key points include mandatory helmet use, users bringing their own pucks, and youth under the age of 12 requiring adult supervision.
“We’ve actually had a few sessions take place already and it was great to see the initiative in action,” Hildebrand said. “Prior to a W.C. Miller Aces game, we had 21 Altona area youth on the ice working on their hockey skills while a figure skater was given ample ice surface space to work on their skating routines.
“It was a perfect example of how the user groups were hoping to collectively take advantage of ice time slots that otherwise may sit unused. And because of the final agreement, it’s not just youth that are part of these user groups that are welcome to take advantage of the available ice times; all Altona and area youth ages 18 and under are welcome to participate.”
Hildebrand added that the Town of Altona believes that this program will have a positive impact on youth engagement in sports, allowing more children to participate and develop their skills in a fun yet casual atmosphere.
“By removing the financial barrier, the recreation department aims to encourage participation from all corners of the community.”
The free ice times can be found on the town’s website (altona.ca) on the arena schedule under “Under 18 Hockey & Skating.”
Hildebrand noted there may be some confusion regarding this program versus traditional public skating.
The rec. department already offers a number of free public skating ice times which are sponsored by local businesses. Those ice times will not be affected by this new initiative.
“Over the years we have had great support from a few long-standing Altona businesses to keep offering public skating at no cost, and this will not change,” Hildebrand explained.
The main difference is that while public skating is aimed at all ages and is often attended by families, the U18 Hockey & Skating times are more for youth wanting specifically to hone their hockey and skating skills.
The rec. department along with Altona Minor Hockey and the Altona Skating Club will review the program in early to mid-January and again at the end of the ice season.
In exchange for what Hildebrand expects to be more than 200 hours of ice time being made available, the user groups have agreed to pay a fee to provide a level of revenue to the town.
“It’s also important to note that we can and will take private or association-based ice rentals during these scheduled Under 18 Hockey & Skating times, and the user groups are aware of this. It will be important to consistently check the online arena schedule and realize that a paying ice rental will take precedence over any scheduled Under 18 Hockey & Skating ice time.”
