New Improvements to Rink at Bouchie Lake Celebrated!

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

The Chair of the Cariboo Regional District, Margo Wagner as well as Director of Area B, Barb Bachmeier and past Chair of the Bouchie Lake Recreation Commission, Stephanie Hanes along with a few members of the Bouchie Lake Volunteer Fire Fighters were on hand Saturday, February 19th, 2022, at the Bouchie Lake rink to officially kick-off the renewed ice rink. The ribbon was cut, and the community celebrated this refreshed recreational asset.

Chair Margo Wagner said, “These improvements were realized with the help of dedicated community volunteers and the financial support of $30,000 from the Northern Development Initiative Trust’s ‘Community Places’ grant and $35,000 contributing funds from the North Cariboo Sub-Regional Recreation Capital Plan. Once the project is completed, this rural community will have a safe, accessible and easy-to-maintain facility with recreation opportunities for all ages”.

Director Bachmeier said, “I would also like to thank the current and past Commissioners of the Bouchie Lake Recreation Commission that made this project a reality along with the Bouchie Lake Volunteer Fire Fighters who are currently looking for new recruits. I encourage people to make a small donation and enjoy the hotdogs and hot chocolate from the ‘Helping Hands Food Program for Seniors’, the coffee donated from Granville Coffee and the cake which was anonymously donated.” The ‘Family Fun’ group was also on hand collecting bottles and donations for the Terry Fox Research program.

Past Chair Stephanie Hanes said, “This outdoor rink is a prized asset to our community and well-used. We are pleased on how it turned out and we hope that the community is also”.

The Bouchie Lake rink was created over two decades ago primarily with the help from the Bouchie Lake Volunteer Fire Fighters. In 2021, based on year-round demand from a variety of user groups, the Bouchie Lake Recreation Commission decided the rink needed some upgrades. People of all ages participate regularly in ice skating, hockey, basketball and pickleball. Some improvements like lighting had already been done but there was an immediate need to weatherproof, rebuild and construct new areas of the rink to improve access and year-round safety. Most of the work was completed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony with a bit of concrete work left to be done in the warmer months.