While the backyard rink season is winding down, Harold Daynard and his family enjoyed plenty of ice time this winter and are already looking forward to a special anniversary next season.
The rink is in the family’s Kinzie Lane backyard and always includes a fun snow sculpture.
Harold Daynard grew up on St. Joseph’s Island (just east of Sault Ste. Marie) and spent many cold days outdoors making snow sculptures and playing sports.
“In public school we always had competitions between the classes in front of the school and we’d make snow sculptures against each other. That's likely where my love for building them started,” said Daynard.
“That continued even when I would come back to my parents' house from college and I’d build the odd one here and there. I built a few large snowmen, built a flag during the Olympics and even a train that me and my siblings did in honour of a train that was on our island.”
In 2013, Daynard decided to start putting a rink in the backyard so his kids could play on it. There was always a lot of excess snow at one end and Daynard decided to get back to sculptures as a way to spruce up skating time.
Sculptures each year depend on the mood and Daynard admits it's usually a last-minute decision, with one year featuring a large Stanley Cup.
This year, he opted to create a giant Barrie Sharks logo that is approximately eight-feet wide and seven-feet high, and is a nod to the women’s hockey organization in the city.
“This year I did the Sharks logo as my daughter Wren is a player with a U9 competitive team, so I really wanted to highlight that and all that she’s doing,” said Daynard.
The Sharks idea started with the lighting underneath the ice - a staple at the Daynard rink.
Daynard said he places lights down before freezing to illuminate the rink at night and add to the skating experience.
“I got some insulation and rope lighting to make the lighted logo. I make the face-off circles with hula-hoops and also create the red and blue lines. It doesn’t take as much time as you might think, but if you ask my wife she might tell you that it does,” said Daynard. “It's great because she comes out to help with it and the kids just love it.”
While the rink has been a tradition for many years, Daynard admits it was “a godsend” during the pandemic.
“We got a lot of use out of it the last two years for sure. With hockey on and off, the kids were out there quite a bit, pretty much every night,” said Daynard. “It got some good use.”
With spring on the way and weather getting warmer, the Daynard rink is being prepared for another storage season.
“The process starts at the end of October and early November and usually comes down mid-March,” said Daynard. “The weather is getting pretty warm now and it will probably be coming down soon.”
As for the upcoming 10th season and what the theme of the rink and sculpture will be, Daynard has no idea.
“Yeah, I never know this early. I actually never know until the rink is being built and even then, it's not a final decision,” said Daynard. “Being the 10th year I’m sure we’ll have some fun with it.”
