The Bryson Recreation Association organized almost 24 hours of winter fun and games at the Bryson outdoor rink over the weekend for its fourth mini-carnival event.
On Friday evening, families were invited to throw on a pair of snowshoes or skis, the latter made available for free by Ski à l’école, and venture off into the woods, guided only by the light of some tiki torches planted in the snow.
Also Friday was the kick-off of the carnival’s boot hockey tournament, which saw six teams face off in a series of 30-minute round-robin games over Friday and Saturday before the finals on Saturday afternoon.
Luca Danis, the organizer for the tournament, said that boot hockey was more popular 20 years ago and he decided to bring the tournament back three years ago. He also said that it was nice to have a tournament that is mixed gender.
“I think you get a better crowd, and more people involved,” Danis said. “It’s always the mixed division [in the Pontiac] that attracts the most people.”
Danis said that there were two teams from Bryson, two from Mansfield, one from Fort Coulonge and one from Aylmer.
Bryson’s NAPA team took home the championship this year in a nailbiter that went to shootouts against Fort Coulonge’s Malette Électrique.
For younger carnival-goers, the RA assembled a series of mini-games, including mini hockey, a ring toss, soccer bowling with cans painted to look like snowmen and an ice cube toss, that saw kids throw reusable ice cubes into jars decorated like snowballs.
Meghan Griffin, vice-president of the RA, said that the winter carnival is a good opportunity to build community spirit in the colder months.
“In the winter, our fundraising efforts tend to go down because of the cold weather,” Griffin said. “This is always a popular event that brings people together in a good old Canadian winter.”
RA member Shyloh Pasqua said that the funds raised from the snacks at the canteen, including homemade grilled cheeses and soup, will go towards paying two rink attendants.
“They open the building, they turn on the lights, they manage the canteen, they make sure people are following the rules and respecting the ice,” Pasqua explained.
Funds will also go towards offsetting the costs for kids to participate in organized sports and getting referees and coaches.
