The first Bonnie Doon Christmas Party since 2019! We're going to keep things simple this time. We'll have finger food and DJ Ned will provide the tunes. There will be a cash bar.

At the same time, the rink will have tunes, a fire pit and hot chocolate. Preschool kids will enjoy sliding down Mount Logan (the hill at the north end of the park).

If you can help us set up tables, run the bar, etc, please write to Jan, [email protected].

If you can help Edmonton's Food Bank, please bring a donation of non-perishable food to the party.

When: Sunday, December 4, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Bonnie Doon Hall & Rink, 9240 93 Street
Cost: Free for BDCL members; guests over 12 years of age $5

Because of the cash bar, attendees must be members or a guest of a member.

For two winters volunteers Dan Hailey and Morgan Haavaldsen have made excellent ice at our rink. There were good helpers along the way but Dan & Morgan did most of the work, and at all hours of the day. In this fall of 2022 Morgan and his wife will move to Hinton. Dan and his wife hope to spend time traveling. We need to understand the work they've been doing.

Mark Gordon chatted with Dan & Morgan (and got a crash course in flooding the rink!). He wrote these notes, to capture some important lessons:

• Splitting the work up is useful:
  • The ice: clearing snow and flooding; the visible, vital work.
  • Everything else: after two pandemic winters, we would like to have the rink shack open on a regular basis. And from time to time there are jobs to do, like buying gas for the two snow blowers & sweeper, fixing something or doing a major cleanup.
• To do a good job of flooding takes experience, but to learn to flood takes one training session.
• Most of us would need to be shown the eccentricities of our snowblowers and sweeper in order to start and run them.
  

Note the timing of the different areas of work:

• Tending the shack, sometimes called supervising:
  • Supervising can be scheduled; at least 60 minutes weekday evenings to allow a decent length Family Skate (no pucks) and maybe a couple hours weekend afternoons
    
  • Unlocking the shack provides washrooms and a warm place to change
  • However, the unlocked shack cannot left alone; equipment disappears
  • Enforcing Family Skate times is challenging for some; not everyone is cut out to be a "cop"
  • In a perfect world, people would be required to display skate tags to prove they have purchased a league membership
  • It is challenging to be aware both of what's happening on the ice and what's going on inside the shack
    
• Ice work is event-driven
  • Cold weather might keep skaters off the ice for a few days so that there is little need to flood or clear snow
  • Skating generates "cruft" (like snow) that accumulates, depending on rink usage
  • After enough cruft accumulates or we receive a skiff of snow, the ice might have to be scraped; (we have several wide scrapers, around 4 feet across); sometimes the product of scraping is tossed outside the rink with shovels; if enough material is scraped, a blower might be used.
  • Of course, a real dump of snow generates a lot of work
  • So it's all very event-driven, need-driven; it cannot be scheduled far in advance

We avoid flooding during the early evening. Often flooding does not begin until after 9:00 PM. Flooding can be done in 90 minutes if the ice does not scraping/sweeping. Having a second person during flooding is a big help, but not absolutely required. (MG: That's easy for me to say; the only time I flooded I had a helper who kept the long hose out of my way!)

We hope to recruit volunteers for

1. Ice-making (and clearing)
2. Supervising
3. Irregular jobs, as needed
   

If having a good community rink is important to you, please consider meeting one of the team some evening or weekend to see what's involved. You might even help just the one time. That would be most appreciated.

Write to Jan, [email protected]. Please tell her what jobs you would consider helping with.

We need some help!!

• The Good News: as of Nov 12, 2022, Bonnie Doon rink is very close to opening (pray for low hi temps!).
• The Bad news: we are about to lose 1 and 1/2 of our 2 top-notch ice makers.

Morgan will be done volunteering at the end of November, as he and his wife prepare to move to Hinton. He is such a positive & energetic Force of Nature. We will miss Morgan dearly.

Dan and Jacinthe plan on traveling a bit this winter. He's the 0.5 loss! Dan will help when he's around. He has been relentless in his efforts to make the best outdoor ice in Edmonton.

Here are some jobs that contribute to making a great outdoor rink:

• Ice making, which involves removing snow and flooding
• Supervising, which means opening and closing the shack (for warming and washrooms) and some light cleanup
• A host of occasional tasks, include cleaning the shack & washrooms, getting gas, organizing the maintenance of our snowblowers and sweeper, repairing fencing, nets & boards.

If you can contribute to keeping our beautiful rink running please write to Jan, [email protected]. Even an hour makes a difference. A couple of hours monthly would be a big win!

One way to get a feel for things is to partner with Dan or Morgan some evening or weekend when they are flooding. Another idea is to contact the team during a snow storm and arrange to visit after the storm to help with the 'blowers. Write to Jan and she'll hook you up!

This film crew will use our rink shack as a warming hut during their shoot. Otherwise, BDCL is not associated with the film but are sharing their shout out in case readers might be interested.

CALL FOR FILM EXTRAS: “RYDER BIKES ALONE”

Do you like winter biking and want to be in a movie?

IFWC and Paths For People are looking for volunteer extras for a short winter biking film for kids to be filmed outdoors in Edmonton in December, 2022! Bonus points if you have a fun-loving spirit and don’t mind the cold. The extras would be in one scene filmed over December 10 or 11. The filming location is in the Bonnie Doon area and the approximate time commitment is no more than 6 hours over one day.

Be prepared with your own bike that you may bring pre-decorated, and lots of layers to stay warm. All ages and abilities welcome! No acting experience necessary. We are specifically looking for adults and teens who love helping kids. Your kindness will be appreciated with a special thank you in the credits and the opportunity to see yourself on screen at the International Festival of Winter Cinema’s 2024 snow theatre.

If interested, send an email to [email protected] by December 1, 2022 with your name, age, phone number, and number of people who will join you. You will be expected to make your own arrangements to get to the location. See you on set!