Councillors to take a shot at solving no hockey rule

Several Hamilton councillors want city hall to take a second look at a bylaw that bans hockey from all outdoor skating rinks built by volunteers in city parks.

The problem, say councillors Terry Whitehead and Robert Pasuta, is that the city is under pressure in an increasingly litigious society, and accordingly has become more averse to risk. Hamilton bans road hockey, tobogganing in certain areas and hockey in parks.

As a result, it’s turning off volunteer ice makers who are just trying to do a good turn for their neighbourhoods, said Whitehead Friday. For example, volunteers have been putting in two rinks in Buchanan Park, near Mohawk College, to separate recreational skaters and kids playing hockey. But that still didn’t fly with the city.

“Those volunteers went out and worked a lot of cold nights to put in those two surfaces, understanding they couldn’t mix the two, only to be told they couldn’t allow hockey players on it,” Whitehead said. “It’s not very Canadian.”