Sports stories from the Georgian Bay
Ryan Davies
The NHL Alumni Game kicked off the Town's 50th anniversary 'Breaking The Ice Festival' at Wasaga Beach's new state-of-the-art twin pad Wasaga Stars Arena on River Road West. The week long festival not only marked the opening of the new arena and town's new library, but starts a year of celebrations as 2024 is the 50th anniversary of the village of Wasaga Beach becoming a town. The week ended with sold out concerts as Burton Cummings & Blue Rodeo performed over the Family Day weekend.
THE LATEST SPORT STORIES IN THE GEORGIAN BAY REGION
Photos by Tristen Oliver Stableforth @Tos_images Instagram
Mayor Brian Smith, who opened proceedings for the 'Breaking The Ice Festival' at the start of the game, was thrilled to see so many local faces at the event. “It's great to see our hometown hero back on the ice at our NHL sized ice pads. It's been a great day and it's been a great way to start off the festivities.”
In front of a full house, it was a welcome return for hometown hero and former Wasaga Stars player Jason Arnott who scored the winning goal in the 2000 Stanley Cup nals for the New Jersey Devils. Over his storied career, Arnott has made signicant contributions on the ice during his 18year NHL career, amassing an extraordinary 900 points in the NHL and becoming a World Champion with Canada in 1994. The game also showcased former NHL all-stars, including Shayne Corson, Scott Thornton, Bryan Muir, Mike Krushelnyski, and Mark Fraser. Wasaga Beach’s own Rebecca Rain sang a beautiful rendition of O Canada as the game began. Between periods, the ice was taken over by the young players of Wasaga Beach Minor Hockey Association’s Wsaga Stars, as the crowd cheered on the local kids skating on the brand new ice surface. The twin pad arena includes two skating rinks - one designed for large spectator sporting events (900 seats) and the other for community programming (200 seats). Other amenities in the $59-million facility include an indoor walking track, a modern library with proper program space and meeting rooms. The arena will also be the new home to an unnamed Greater Metro Hockey League (GMHL) Junior A hockey team next year. The town and the team's owner are currently accepting suggestions for a name for the new local team. Arnott shared with Georgian Sports News that he was delighted to come back to his roots at the arena's unveiling. “Growing up in Wasaga was the best part of my life. I'll never forget where I came from, and I'm just happy to be a part of the game.” “The new arena is awesome and it just doesn't have to be for hockey, either. I hear they're gonna have concerts. It opens up a whole new avenue for the whole community, brings revenue into Wasaga and it'd be a lot of fun for the kids who grew up here and actually get to play in it. They can maybe expand and have a few more older teams.”
www.beach B O O S T E R .com
Mayor Smith added: “This has been four councils in the making. It's a packed house with the good folks of Wasaga Beach enjoying the game. This is a great thing for Wasaga Beach. It brings the community together and builds spirit.” “Our young sports teams are also thrilled to have a world-class facility. We have a lot of young hockey players and gure skaters who have been skating in the old arena for many years but when you walk into this facility you quickly realize that it is world class and I would argue that it is one of the nicest facilities in the province if not the country, and I'm sure they are all proud and happy to be here.” The town has many events planned over the coming months as this special th 50 Anniversary year continues. Keep up to date with the activities coming, both at the new Wasaga Stars Arena, the new Wasaga Beach Public Library & other venues, including the World's Longest Beach this spring and summer. Keep up to date by visiting: www.50yearsofsundshine.ca Ryan Davies