Vermont community saves beloved ice rink
By Sophia Falbo
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BARRE, Vermont (WPTZ) — The Barre community saved its local, beloved ice rink from shutting down. The BOR Arena’s rink was within skating distance of closing.
“I cried for three days,” said 14-year-old skater Makynlee.
There were leaks from multiple pipes underneath the rink because of a 52-year-old cooling system.
“This system has well outlived its life,” said Barre city manager Patrick Cushing. “It’s dead.”
“I’d have to start a whole new group, and I’d be really upset,” said 8-year-old skater Ellie.
For the community, sitting back wasn’t an option.
“Something had to be done in the city,” said local contractor Trym Chouinard. “[The city] needed people to step up, and we were the people to step up.”
Chouinard is one of 15 people who rallied to help open the rink.
They’re all local business owners and community members, many of whom also pitched in during Barre’s devastating floods.
“It’s more of a community thing than I think a hockey or a sports thing,” said Chouinard. “These guys compete for the same jobs in their careers, and they were working side by side for the community.”
About $50,000 worth of labor, materials and services was poured into the BOR rink.
“Some of the local restaurants were taking food up to the workers so that they wouldn’t have to stop, and no one asked them to do that,” said Cushing. “These are just things that the community came together to do.”
Within just a few weeks, the rink was frozen over and welcoming back skaters.
“The people here, like the coaches, are really special,” said Ellie.
“It’s making me work a lot harder because I’m realizing how sad I was when it was gone, and I want to take advantage of it now that we actually have it,” said Makynlee.
But there’s still plenty of work to do to keep the rink open for years to come.
“It’s the city’s turn to say, ‘What’s the long-term solution?'” said Cushing. “Showing the passion that the community showed, we have to continue to push on it, or else their work is in vain.”
The ice rink typically stays open for the season through March.
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