Tabusintac Outdoor Rink

Located in the heart of the small rural community of Tabusintac, New Brunswick there’s an outdoor rink that has seen many skates and hockey sticks since the 1970s. Flooded and run by a committee of dedicated volunteers, on the frosty nights to bring joy to those of all ages. The Tabusintac rink wouldn’t exist without it’s tight knit community. The hosting grounds of a summer festival, Tabusintac Old Home Week that happens once every five years for a week in August sees the community’s population triple. The rink is the hub of all the festivities. I grew up skating there, playing hockey as has my father and now my son will learn as well. The children in the area walk to the rink spending hours beating the puck against the wooden boards. You can hear the puck ting off the metal of the nets that my uncle welded many years ago. It’s safe to say that many members of the community learned how to skate on this beloved outdoor rink. It’s outdoor rinks like this that keep a community whole, build friendships and form lifelong bonds as you lace up your skates. Without volunteers, these winter sanctuaries wouldn’t exist. It would be such help to the community if awarded this prize and so very well deserved.