Kamloops group hopes ball hockey event will ramp up support for outdoor rink

Nov 29, 2018 | 10:26 AM

KAMLOOPS — For the second year in a row, the Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association (KOSA) is putting on a ball hockey event to help keep a proposed outdoor skating rink top of mind in the community.

James Gordon is a member of KOSA, and says the ball hockey games on Dec. 8 are meant for the whole family. He adds he hopes it will help bring more support for the association’s idea of an outdoor refrigerated rink in Kamloops.

“We were successful in convincing city council — and not just us but others — to approve $50,000 for a study to look at the issue of building an outdoor refrigerated rink,” Gordon says. “The City announced… that they’ve identified… two locations, one on the south shore one on the North Shore, but they really haven’t said much more than that.”

Council is expected to vote on the proposed rink in January, and Gordon says it’s important to keep the subject relevant for Kamloops residents.

“The reason we’re interested in doing this ball hockey game, and we’ve done other events as well, is just to keep the topic top of mind with the public,” Gordon says. “We have heard from many members of the public, as well as organizations and businesses, that are keen on this idea.

“Like so many things, if you’re looking for your municipal government to get behind it, you’ve got to keep the whole issue — again — top of mind. Not only with the public but with the city councillors and city staff as well. So that’s the reason for us wanting to do these two ball hockey games.”

The two ball hockey games are free and take place during the Welcome Winter Block Party put on by the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association, and runs from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 8.

For more on the event, go here.