For more than ten years, Bruce Tait, 53, has been honing his ice-making skills, propelled by his love of hockey, family, and good old-fashioned Canadiana.
“Some people like it when it’s hot, but I love it when it’s cold. That’s the best time for making ice. My first experience with ice-making was our backyard rink because we thought it would be nice for my son and daughter to have an extra space to practice. It was pretty well the whole backyard…about 50 feet by 50 feet…and most of the time it was me out there with a garden hose. Sometimes the grass would be coming up through the ice in the spring and the kids would still be out there.
Then I saw an ad in the paper looking for volunteers to maintain city rinks. I called and they set me up at Menard Park with some firemen hoses, about 200 feet. When I first started I was working nights, so when I got home in the morning I would head over and start watering. One of the first years it was late March and I was still doing the ice. It was minus 40 a couple of times that winter and it was great for making ice.
I have learned over the years what works. I find now when I do it, once I get a whole base, I scrape it all off and just use light water to make it smooth. If you use too much water, it all pools and then you get ripples in the ice.
Parents have come to me and told me that their kids have learned to skate on this rink. To see those kids playing on the rink—that’s the best part.”
Illustration: Kyle Beaudette
