The condition of the ice at the outdoor rink in Matilda Memorial Park is excellent, thanks to the hard work of a small army of volunteers who believe in building a stronger community. While the numbers had diminished during the day, at one point there were close to 40 people enjoying a beautiful day for a skate. Tinkess Photo

BRINSTON – If you ask most Canadians to describe for you the perfect winter day, they will often say the sun is shining, it’s cold, but not too cold, and there is an activity of some sort that brings a smile to their face.

In Brinston, on Family Day 2026, the Matilda Memorial Recreation Committee (MMRC) managed to create just that sense of a magical winter day, and even managed to include hot dogs, Pogos and hot chocolate with whipped cream as well!

Mon., Feb. 16 was Family Day in Ontario. Family Day is a provincial statutory holiday that takes place on the third Monday in February. It was Introduced in 2007 to provide a winter break allowing people to spend time with loved ones. Most schools, banks, government offices, and many businesses are closed, though some retail, tourist attractions, and recreational centers remain open.

The whole idea around the holiday was that families could spend some time together, creating memories and enjoying each other’s company. In a community like Brinston, where that attitude is a way of life, it wasn’t surprising that the MMRA would organize an event such as a family skating party. With the first “real” winter in years, there was snow to play in, and the ice in the outdoor rink was as smooth as a sheet of glass, thanks to a small number of volunteers who took the time and made the effort to create something that would bring joy to others.

Larry Faulkner is one of those volunteers, and by his estimation this winter he has spent perhaps 40 hours flooding the ice. Anyone who has ever flooded a back yard rink knows that flooding the ice on a cold, dark winter’s evening is not the most pleasant task in the world, so what is it that causes someone to take responsibility for maintaining a large community rink like the one in Brinston?

“Well, my wife is on the recreation committee,” said Faulkner, “So I figured you’re doing that, then I will help out with the ice and you know, I just started helping flooding and then all of a sudden, you know, it’s transformed into me kind of running it.

“We’re not too far away, so anything I can do to keep this thing going, I do. There’s nothing better than coming out here on a Sunday and seeing 30 or so kids out on the ice.”

According to Shellie Spencer, they have been very happy with the amount of use the rink has been receiving this winter. “On Sundays after church we’ll usually see 30 or 40 people skating,” she said. A lot of people chip in to keep things working, mentioning one gentleman who lived nearby who offered to help clear the snow off the ice after one of this winter’s frequent storms. “It’s a big rink,” added Spencer, “There’s a lot to shovel.”

The rink received a good flood last evening to make sure it was perfect for the Family Day Skate, so then, according to Spencer, it was just a matter of getting people to help with the hot chocolate and cooking the hot dogs.

For a small community, there is no shortage of community spirit, whether it is for the Christmas Tree lighting, the fall pig roast, or the Easter Egg Hunt, which will be the next event on the calendar. When you live in a community where people care about each other, these things aren’t work, it’s just what you do.