This is my last column on the new ice pads. Promise. Unless we get into serious cost overruns.
Now that we have finally put the 65-million-dollar (give or take a million) ice pad in its proposed place, and the councillors have their explanations for the perceived need of the community, we can all sit back in our armchairs and watch the fun begin.
The justifications for the replacement pads seem logical as far as the buildings go – things do age and become obsolete – but perhaps we – the councillors – might have taken a closer look at the demographics and the future of the game of hockey. To say that hockey is a part of our heritage and culture is only partially true: yep, we, mostly boys and men, played hockey in the old days.
Today, not so much. The girls and women are picking up the declining numbers, but Hockey, as Canadian culture, is as passé as us being peacekeepers.
Check out the researched article at CBC Sports. That is not a body check, but a reality check. A drop of 33% in youth participation might have been a red flag for city staff and council.
But no.
Indeed, professional hockey is no longer a sport but is now an entertainment. And it is good entertainment if you have ever played the game and can appreciate the skill of the players. If you have never chased a battered puck around a frozen beaver pond, deking around alder trees, and then firing a blazing shot between the boots that demarked the goal, then maybe not so much. Or maybe you enjoy watching grown men on skates slugging it out before being sent to the sin bin. The TV ratings (advertising $$) go up with each round of fisticuffs.
However, if you are one of those hockey parents who believe your child can become a well-paid entertainer, and you can afford the time and equipment to invest in their career, and your child finds this sport fun, you will be quite happy to drive to the south end, pay the fees, and yell to your heart’s content (but not at the coaches and referees).
If, on the other hand, you think it is a cultural necessity to outfit your child so they can absorb the Canadian heritage, be prepared to pay the costs without complaint. That includes your property taxes, income, and sales taxes, which paid for the nice new rink. And a nice donation from the losers at the Casino.
Oldtimers might be shocked to discover that a decent hockey stick will cost over $400; a good pair of skates will set you back $500 (and the kid’s feet keep growing); a helmet varies on how much you think your child’s head is worth – anywhere from $100 to $400; gloves $50; shoulder pads $60; shin pads $110; and a bag to carry the stuff, another $100. Plus tax. (These might be HST-exempt between Dec. 14 and Feb. 14 – who knows). Multiply that by the number of kids but some of the gear can be washed and handed down.
Oh, I almost forgot – and registration fees.
As a parent or guardian, you should also be prepared to attend practices and games where your child is in the care of coaches and trainers of such organizations as Hockey Canada. The new Hockey Canada, that is. Oh, and if your child's hockey protégé is progressing nicely in power skating, stick dexterity, and getting or stopping goals, you should be prepared to go to out-of-town tournaments that may put a further drain on your plastic.
This is not to discourage you from the sport of ice hockey.
Every Canadian child should have the opportunity to learn to skate, maybe play road hockey, but also to learn to swim, paddle a canoe, kick a soccer ball, dribble a basketball, catch a fly ball, ride a bicycle, chip a Titleist, or tramp in the woods. They might be inclined to skip a rope, learn the complex rules of hopscotch, hone their skill at tossing a cat’s-eye marble in March (a precursor to rolling dice), or maybe even read a book or two.
Be thankful that we live in a country where all this is possible; in a city that has its priorities right; where for the price of a hockey stick you might have been able to feed a dozen hungry, homeless people on Cassells Street. Or maybe you can do both.
Bless you if you can.
Now drop the puck and start building!
