A truly Canadian Family, we have spent the last
4 years developing our very own backyard rink. We built our current
home in 1999. At the time of construction we decided that we would
like to build a back yard that would keep our three kids at home.
With this desire and my husband's love for hockey, the idea of The
Sim City Ice was born. Not only has it kept our kids in our backyard
but is enjoyed daily by dozens of neighboring children.
It began with an 80 by 30 foot asphalt pad in the fall of 1999.
Since then we have added hockey boards, complete with community
advertising; chain link at each end to keep the pucks in; six flags
at one end representing our family histories and eight at the other
representing the Olympic Nations; a dressing room mimicking the
Edmonton Oilers'; a professional time clock; and halogen lights
for those long winter nights.
It has taken four years to finish but has been worth the wait. Our
two boys and our daughter love to go out and play on the rink, which
has been known to host a few adult hockey matches too. In the winter
we keep it flooded, fully equipped with lines and logos. In the
summer we play road hockey, roller hockey and basketball.
The Sim City Rink has become a big part of our local community.
Many local businesses have put their logos on the boards, and the
neighboring parents have sent us letters of thanks and gratitude
for allowing their kids to have a safe place to enjoy the sport
that we all love - HOCKEY.
