CALEB NICKERSON
SHEENBORO Feb. 9, 2019
A cottaging community in Sheenboro came together on Saturday afternoon for some skating and shinny on the river.
The annual “Hockey Day in Downey’s Bay” as it is known, has been going on for more than seven years explained Joann McCann, whose husband Glenn Magill is the official icemaker.
“We’re protected in the bay, some years where we had no snow, we just had a natural rink,” she said, explaining how the tradition came about.
This year, Magill had to contend with a dump of snow and freezing rain on the playing surface, adding to the workload.
“He just pumps river water up and then floods it. Uses a four-wheeler to plow it,” McCann said.
The ice was thick enough for attendees to park their cars on the water’s edge and most of the crowd gathered around a large wood stove, sipping hot beverages. There were even snowshoes for those without skates.
McCann explained that there are several patches cleared, two for hockey and one for skating, and she expected that around 50 people would come by throughout the day.
“It’s very inclusive and friendly,” she said. “That’s the great thing about Sheenboro and the Pontiac too.”
