LAC LA BICHE - It's been an icy Lac La Biche tradition since 2003, only being cancelled three times in its history for poor ice or extreme weather conditions — until the last two years when the COVID pandemic has shut down back-to-back runnings of Lac La Biche Kinsmen Rob McCormick Memorial On the Pond Hockey Tournament.
Cancelling this year's event — that had been scheduled for March 5 — was a tough decision, says Lac La Biche Kinsmen Life Member Blair Norton. He said the event over the years has attracted thousands of young minor hockey skaters and their families from across Western Canada to the natural and unique beauty of the outdoor "hockey village" carved into the frozen surface of Lac La Biche lake.
"We hated to make that decision, but with continuing uncertainties of the pandemic and the fact it takes us more than two months of volunteer time to set up the outdoor groundwork for the rinks, tents and other stuff, it was decided to halt it again," said Norton. "We just didn't want to go through all that work, get teams excited to come, and then have to cancel if COVID measures changed."
The one-day spectacle fills a city-block sized portion of the lake's surface with hockey rinks, concessions, team tents and parking areas enough to accommodate more than 1,000 visitors.
Cancelled last year as well, due to the rising cases of coronavirus across the region, Norton admitted that team attendance for the one-day tournament had been slipping in recent years. The 2020 version saw 19 of the original 28 team slots filled, requiring only six rinks instead of the original eight to be created on the lake's surface. While an indoor version moved to the Bold Center ice in 2019 drew a full roster of 28 teams, the previous years had seen attendance dip to as few as 13 teams.
Norton says the club may re-draft a plan to host a new annual event that would draw visitors to the community, bring awareness to the club and continue to still recognize former members like McCormick, a charter member of the organization who passed away in December of 2016.
Also the treasurer of the club that celebrates 34 years of community service in 2022, Norton said the annual event has been a good fundraising vehicle for many local agencies and organizations.
"We've definitely raised money for groups who volunteer to help us with the day on the lake. We have had raffles of donated items ... it's been a good event for the community and the kids," he said.
As the club members look ahead to the coming year, Norton hopes some "normalcy" will return and some form of the event will return in 2023.
"Perhaps it's pond hockey for adult teams, or stepping away from hockey all together. We want to keep the tradition going, keep the awareness and community support going, but also recognizing the volunteer challenges and restrictions we've all been facing."
