Baddeck rink encourages informal pond hockey games

A rink in Baddeck, Cape Breton is mixing a touch of nostalgia with some good old-fashioned exercise.

The Victoria Highland Civic Centre is making ice time available free of charge in a series of events it is calling "Bring Back Pond Hockey."

Organizer Andrew MacDonald says it's open to anyone who wants to join other enthusiasts for a game of informal pick-up hockey.

" What it entails is adults and kids, gloves, sticks, helmets, skates, a puck. Throw your sticks in the middle and divvy up the teams — just like back in the day when, you know, you go out on a pond and you play," he said.

"You make teams and you play a game of pond hockey."

MacDonald says people can come and go during the two-hour sessions.

The main thrust of Bring Back Pond Hockey, he says, is to encourage people to get out and have some fun exercise.

In fact, a municipal-provincial health initiative called Naturally Active Victoria County has made the event possible by covering the cost of the ice time, making it free for patrons.

MacDonald says the games will be focused on fun, not competition.

He recalls a familiar scene when he was a boy.

"We walked through a field and come to this big pond. And the old men, they would clear the snow off. We'd make two nets out of stumps and play a game of pond hockey," he said.

"We'd spend most of the day lookin' for the puck in a snow bank. And it was a lot of laughs, good fun and always brings back memories."

That's the kind of magic MacDonald hopes to bring back at the Baddeck rink.

The schedule for Bring Back Pond Hockey is outlined on the rink's website: victoriahighlandciviccentre.com