The afternoon of New Year’s Eve brought a bus load of enthusiastic hockey players from the west coast who had been participating in the Macs Midget AAA Tournament in Calgary. In addition to a strong representation of Western Canada’s hockey talent, Macs tournament officials were excited to welcome three International teams; the Alaska Junior Aces and two national U17 European teams from Switzerland and Finland.
The South Island Royals from Victoria were eliminated from the prestigious world invitational ice hockey tournament which is held in Calgary annually between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Before heading home, the British Columbia team took a drive out to Chestermere to enjoy a practice game of hockey on the newly cleared piece of ice located on the lake at The Chestermere Landing. “I knew of Chestermere Lake so we called out here to The Landing to see if there was a spot on the lake that we could play and were invited out for lunch as well,” said Kate Flynn, who is travelling with the team.
Being from Victoria, many of the players had never played on an outdoor rink. “We are having a great time here, this is a lot of fun” added Flynn.
Geoff Grimwood, the Head Coach for the Royals said that although the team went winless in the tournament, they feel the entire experience will make them a better team. Then he added, “The absolute highlight was spending the day on the outdoor ice. The guys could not believe how friendly everyone was, and appreciated the many people chipping in to make their day memorable.”
Driving across the bridge and into the parking lot of the Landing, located on the east side of the lake; it was immediately obvious these players were good. The fast paced hockey was exciting to watch and step above the casual and relaxed skating we typically see on the frozen lake.
The boys enjoyed three hours of shooting the puck around before going into the restaurant to warm up and enjoy a well-deserved meal inside The Dockside Diner. “The landing was great, the staff was so accommodating and they opened the diner portion of the pub just so we could have lunch! This by far was the highlight for us experiencing Alberta and I can only image how beautiful the lake and the rest of Chestermere looks like in the summer”, said Flynn.
John and Helen Kittler, owners of The Chestermere Landing would like the public to know that skating on the three sheets of ice in front of their Marina is there for everyone to enjoy. “Thanks to everyone for their support these past months as together we have brought the Chestermere Lading back to life. We wish to express our appreciation by inviting everyone to enjoy the skating rinks we have cleared on the lake in front of the Landing,” says John. He adds that lights will keep the rink lit each night until 11p.m. with plenty of parking in their parking lot right beside the lake.
After your skate, why not take the time to stop in to see the newly renovated Chestermere Landing which includes The Dockside Bar & Grill, The Dockside Diner, the soon to open Chestermere Landing Events Centre and during the summer months, the Hyperactive Marina. The menu inside the restaurants includes a variety of delicious meals for the whole family.
