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Skate ‘a family tradition’

Annual holiday event draws crowd to White Rock's Centennial Arena.
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A holiday-themed skate at Centennial Arena drew families out for some ice time Dec. 29. Below

Alex Wilks

Special to Peace Arch News

Families flocked to White Rock’s Centennial Arena last Tuesday for a “sports-themed” holiday skate.

Peninsula resident Patrick Moran, 11, took advantage of the ice time, noting he has been skating since he was in kindergarten.

“We went on field trips with my school,” he said as he laced his black hockey skates. “It’s fun.”

Patrick said that although skating is just a hobby, his favourite part is “racing with my friends.”

It wasn’t just local residents – many with sharpened skates in hand – who made their way to the arena, Dec. 29.

Rita Clarkson and granddaughter, CiennaMontreal resident Cienna Dixon, 9, had spent the holiday break visiting her grandparents, Ken Pawlak and Rita Clarkson, who served as White Rock’s director of leisure services for many years until her retirement in 2010.

Cienna’s mom, Zoë Pawlak, and younger brother, Cael Dixon, 7, also laced up their ice skates for an afternoon at the rink.

“The holiday break skate is an annual family tradition,” Cienna said. “We always go skating around the holidays, it’s one of my top five things to do.

“I love skating because I feel free when I’m on the ice.”

Centennial Arena, located at 14600 North Bluff Rd., held various holiday-break  public family skates. Now that school’s back in, the arena hosts public skates until March.

For information and pricing, visit www.whiterockcity.ca/EN/main/ community/leisure/amenities/centennial-arena.html