(submitted photo/Andy Winder)

By Ronald Quaroni

Ice Time

Birch Hills man offering ‘isolated’ family time on pond

Mar 26, 2020 | 8:00 AM

At a time when many families may be struggling with boredom, a Birch Hills man is offering an isolated place to unwind.

Andy Winder has offered the use of his family’s pond to families in the Birch Hills’ area.

“With all this COVID-19 stuff going on I think it’s a great idea for people to stay active, but of course yet staying safe,” Andy Winder told paNOW.

Winder is asking families or individuals who are sick or have been out of the country to stay away. He’s also removed a warm-up shack, chairs and benches to eliminate points of contact.

Winder added as a safety precaution he’s taking messages and organizing time for interested skaters to head out one at a time. He wants people to contact him before heading out, as it’s important to keep the ice free for one family at a time.

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“We don’t want it to be a gathering place or a place where people think they can go to hang out with other families,” Winder noted. “You know just instead of going outside and playing in the snow at least this gives them something else to do.”

Winder, a dad himself, is empathizing with the challenges of keeping a families busy in the community.

“I think right now, pretty well everything is closed, unless you’re going grocery shopping. We’re trying to keep a schedule still, so we’re still doing the schooling stuff,” Winder said.

Other than the outdoor rink, Winder took his children to some local parks but is trying to be cautious about contact with outdoor-play equipment.

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Ron.quaroni@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @RonaldQuaroni