麻豆社区

Several Yukon hockey parents, coaches, and players have expressed their concerns about the lack of summer ice. The Canada Games Centre (CGC) closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 18 鈥� Takhini Arena closed with the cancellation of the 2020 Arctic Winter Games.

The CGC partially reopened June 15, but without ice. Maintenance was scheduled to begin in May on the ice plant鈥檚 water tower and chiller, but that was delayed and work began on June 11.

The work to the facility is still underway and ice may be open come Aug. 1.

It has been nearly four months since ice has been in any of the facilities, and the hockey community understood the need to shutter everything because COVID-19 caused so many unknowns.

When things became clearer, however, they were left wondering what ideas were had to get athletes back on the rink.

Speaking on the issue is the Yukon鈥檚 biggest hockey star, Dylan Cozens, who said he hasn鈥檛 been able to skate for three months.

鈥淭hey could have opened Takhini,鈥� said Cozens. 鈥淣ow we are hearing all of July too, so another month.鈥�

Dylan鈥檚 dad, Mike, questioned the city鈥檚 creativity during the pandemic when other jurisdictions are finding ways to reopen their arenas.

鈥淭he people he (Dylan) is up against are on the ice training,鈥� said Mike. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing if no one is on the ice but other places are finding ways to open arenas and get their kids on the ice.

鈥淚t puts our kids at a disadvantage. Several Yukon kids will be going out and competing. The kids they are competing against are on the ice already. So guess what we are doing? We are taking our kids out in July to B.C.鈥�

Mike said the community has already lost so much due to the pandemic, and that giving people an outlet is needed.

鈥淥ur Yukon kids have lost so much this year, and I鈥檓 talking all youth in all sports and disciplines,鈥� Mike said. 鈥淭his would have been a really good time to be creative and say we can find a way to do this. It鈥檚 COVID; everyone is trying to figure out what鈥檚 going on fine, but you can open Takhini.

鈥淭here are a lot of things that could have been done. What is your vision for the kids? You can make it happen. If you want to call yourself a hockey city, then be a hockey city, and do the things you need to do to make yourself a hockey city.鈥�

City spokesperson Jessica Appolini said with the COVID situation, the city couldn鈥檛 open things without plans. Because of this, the city鈥檚 focus was on reopening the CGC doors.

鈥淲ith the limited staff and arena staff that we have in the summer, everyone鈥檚 focus was on the CGC,鈥� said Appolini. 鈥淚t was supported by the mayor and council to put the focus on community recreation and have all the staff working on opening the CGC.鈥�

When asked about the possibility of opening Takhini while repairs were made at CGC, Apollini said it would have been a tricky situation.

鈥淚t would have been difficult because we would have had to bring in extra staff and then with COVID and not knowing YG鈥檚 guidelines and not being able to forecast ahead of time, it would have been an odd position for the city to be in,鈥� said Appolini.

During the summer, arena staff move to parks, explained Appolini. The staff that have remained on have been at the CGC training with Cimco Refridgeration 鈥� the company doing the ice plan repairs.

Even during non-pandemic times, Mike said, the issue of summer ice has persisted in the city.

鈥淚鈥檝e been involved in hockey a long time up here,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 generally been an ongoing issue trying to get ice. We鈥檝e had a lot of our kids in junior or university who are unable to stay here in the summer.

鈥淭hey are gone for the season, then their families see them briefly then they got to go to be ready. We鈥檝e had lots of kids who have to leave their home communities.鈥�

Apollini said the city currently doesn鈥檛 keep ice all summer due to insufficient demand.

Dylan said if the trend continues, he won鈥檛 be able to stay in Whitehorse for the summer, even though he would like too. He would like to see this change so Whitehorse can become a hockey city.

鈥淭he city likes to talk about me, you know; they changed their Twitter name to City of Cozens, after world juniors, but there is a big difference between saying stuff and doing it,鈥� Dylan said.

鈥淭here are tons of other kids training for the next level. We want to call ourselves a hockey city, we want to be a place that produces young hockey players but it鈥檚 not going to happen until we have ice year-round.

鈥淭here will be kids that do make it but they are going to be making it because they go down south. But if there was more ice here, they鈥檇 (the city) be able to take more credit for it.鈥�

Dylan continued to say that staying in Whitehorse over the summer puts him at a disadvantage.

鈥淓very kid that is in Whitehorse for the summer is at a disadvantage when the season starts,鈥� said Dylan.鈥� It鈥檚 not just about me; it鈥檚 about the youth who are leaving. When you are at that age, every week on the ice is so important for improving.

鈥淚 want to be here as much as I can but I鈥檓 not going to be able to in the future because it puts me at a disadvantage being in Whitehorse.

There is stuff I can do; I want to help kids, I could do camps, but I can鈥檛 be here if I can鈥檛 skate.鈥�

The territory鈥檚 hockey players have already had their season cut short and lost the opportunity to represent the Yukon at the Arctic Winter Games. Also, the camps hosted by the Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WHMA) have been cancelled or postponed until August.

His mom, Sue Bogle, said parents already have to sacrifice a lot for their kids to play competitive hockey.

鈥淒ylan had to leave at a young age to access high-level competition and we understood that鈥檚 just the way it was,鈥� said Bogle. 鈥淲e are lucky to get him back a little earlier than usual. But now he would stay and a lot of kids would stay if the rinks were open in the summer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard when you鈥檝e already had to sacrifice for kids to go out. We lose a lot of our kids during the year and we don鈥檛 want to lose them in the summer.鈥�

Lynn Palfreyman鈥檚 son Owen played his 2019/20 season for the Cariboo Cougars.

She too has been left wondering what the city could have done to get ice in sooner.

鈥淚 get that with COVID it has been difficult,鈥� said Palfreyman. 鈥淚鈥檝e tried contacting the city, but no answer, and I鈥檇 like to know the reasoning behind not opening Takhini.

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough because camps are opening and a lot of our athletes are going out.鈥�

Palfreyman said they understood what they were signing up for when Owen began pursuing higher competition, but she would like to have him home in the summer.

鈥淗e should be home and we should have the facilities,鈥� said Palfreyman. 鈥淭here are athletes trying to prepare for the world outside the Yukon, and this leaves them at a huge disadvantage. It isn鈥檛 great support for the Yukon athletes.鈥�