BATTLEFORD — Through hard work and commitment, a longtime dream became a reality for a dedicated local volunteer.
Battleford resident Curtis Simon helped open a new skating loop at the Town of Battleford's Eiling Kramer Campground last week. The rink is free for residents and visitors to use.
The project was a collaboration between Simon, the Town of Battleford, and the Battleford Fire Department. The fire department assisted by flooding the area and providing water.
Simon's daughter, Emily Simon, said her father was inspired to create the skating loop after visiting a winter festival in Montreal.
"It was a passion project of his," she told SaskToday. "He saw a skating path developed there, watched inspirational videos of similar projects, and wanted to bring it to the Battlefords."
The idea came to Curtis Simon at the end of last winter.
"Most of the spring and summer he has been chatting about different ways and different areas where it could work," Emily said. "That's when the Town of Battleford really came through and helped to make it a reality."
The Simon family is also grateful to the Battleford Fire Department, where Curtis is a part-time volunteer firefighter.
"They’ve been a great asset volunteering. It definitely couldn’t have happened without them," Emily said.
She noted that many volunteers contributed to the project.
"Dad has been receiving pictures and videos from many different people skating with their kids out there," she added. "That’s exactly what he likes to see."
Simon plans to make the skating loop an annual attraction, she noted.
"He's got big dreams for the future for different ways that this can grow," Emily said. "But for year one, he is really happy with it and he's excited to see how it's going to continue in the future."
The Eiling Kramer Campground gates are open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking is available inside the campground near the washrooms, across from the skating loop.
Rachael MacDonald, with the Town of Battleford parks and recreation department, was pleased to see the community come together for the project.
"I personally went out there on the weekend and lots of families are already using [the new skating path]. Everyone seems to really enjoy it," MacDonald said. "It's got lots of feedback on social media."
The skating loop covers about half the campground’s size and is located on the first loop of the campsite, at the front of the park.
MacDonald is excited to see the skating loop as a new attraction in the Battlefords.
"It's amazing," she said. "It's a wonderful thing to add to the community. It's a fantastic opportunity to get people out, get people to be active, and enjoy our beautiful weather when it's warm enough. It's fantastic."
Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie also praised the initiative.
"I think it's a wonderful addition to our community," he said. "I'm truly grateful that the volunteers thought of it and made it a reality, as the smiles and comments and positivity that it's created in our community in the short few days that it's been out has been just amazing."
