By John Cairns

KENSINGTON, PEI, Canada -- Being a diligent father, Brian Stavert tries hard to please his children.

In 2004, Brian began a huge task – building a fully-enclosed, fully-functional ice-hockey arena beside his family’s house. The Mae and Walter Stavert Memorial Rink, named for his own parents, holds ice on its 80-by-40-foot playing surface (smaller than regulation size) each November to March. Officially, it opened on November 23, 2005.

“Building the rink’s one of the best things I ever did,” said 50-year-old Brian, a landlord and livestock dealer. “It’s wonderful. When the first puck dropped, I felt great, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.”

“There’s usually a crowd of 10 to 16 children here in the winter. Our yard fills with cars. But I always know where my own children are.”

Almost every Canadian town has a community arena, but for an individual to build his own is a rarity. “I’ve never seen another place like this,” Brian said.

The project consumed substantial financial resources. “We used some money that my parents left us when they died,” Brian said. “That paid for a good part of it.”

Yet the rink’s a bargain too. Relatives and friends contributed labor. Helpful businesses gave discounts on building materials. A nearby grocery store advertises on the rink’s boards.

Inside, there’s a training area and a heated spectators’ room. Posters depicting the Toronto Maple Leafs, a professional team in the National Hockey League (NHL), adorn the walls. A sound system routinely belts out the familiar theme music for Hockey Night in Canada telecasts. A Zamboni machine “that works on the back of a tractor” cleans the ice.

“People are amazed when they come in, especially if we have the music on,” Brian said. “When the music starts, the players brighten up too. They think they’re starring on Hockey Night in Canada. It’s a great motivation to play good hockey.”

Brian and his wife Maryse, a former broomball player, have two children: Thomas, age 12, and Grace, 10. Thomas loves hockey and constantly practices in the rink. Grace prefers gymnastics.

Maryse appreciates the rink for keeping the children active and away from TV shows and video games. The ice surface pleases hockey players or figure skaters.

“The rink’s been great for our children and all the others,” Brian said. “As more people know about it, the more use it gets. Some children even want to come for birthday parties. People may be a little timid about asking, but I tell them to come right over. They get the rink for an hour or two, and there’s no charge. They just need to turn off the lights when they’re done.”

To please his children even more, Brian’s known to fly a skull-and-crossbones pirate-flag above the rink’s main entrance. “That makes the kids smile,” he said.

“Watching their games gives me a break from business too. I can leave my cell phone in the house and come out to enjoy myself. It gives me peace of mind.”

Ultimately, some youngsters who develop their skills at Brian’s rink may play in the NHL or for Canada. “I really hope so,” he said. “When I see 14 kids from a Triple-A team coming here to practice, I know the impact of this place will carry on. Some parents come to coach their children. More ice time means better players. They get quicker, faster and sharper on the ice.”

Even in the summer, children gather to play hockey (minus skates) or basketball on the concrete floor. Wire mesh keeps the pucks or balls in play.

At first, Brian planned a much more modest project – an outdoor rink. He poured the concrete slab and surrounded it with boards. Then a heavy snowfall buried everything.

“There was six feet of snow,” Brian said. “I decided that was no good. I couldn’t shovel so much, so we needed to build the walls and roof. We put up the rafters by hand. Six guys worked at it. My brothers and some neighbors wanted me to do this, so they helped.”

As a youngster, Brian played hockey at a community rink in nearby Bedeque. “We trapped muskrats to buy hockey equipment,” he recalled. “I played forward. One time, my Dad reached down, grabbed me by the sweater and said, ‘My God, young fellow. You’re fast on the ice.’ That was the best praise I ever had.

“The Mae and Walter Stavert Memorial Rink keeps me young at heart. It takes me right back to my boyhood days.

“Beyond that, it’s turned into a great thing. People come in, have a great time and go home with smiles on their faces.”

The construction costs and extra expenses for water, electricity and heating hardly matter. “We’ve gotten back 1,000 per cent more,” Brian said.
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A grocery store advertises on the rink's boards.


Lacing up skates in the spectators' room,
Brian prepares for another winter of fun.

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