One of the best Hoedowns ever!

There's no doubt about it - it was a good one. Hoedown 2014 will go down in the books as one of the best in recent years, with great weather, excellent turn-out and smashing live entertainment from local original artists Roger Roger.
The food was great, the beverages were flowing and the kids were never left without something fun to do, from games, bouncers, a gymnastics exhibition, live animals in the skate room (did you see that snake?), the soccer medal award ceremony and of course St. James' best annual fireworks display.
The main reason this Hoedown was one of the best in many years, though, was because of the phenomenal participation of families and local residents. We had one of the best volunteer turn-outs in years, which makes all the difference for these events. A great time was had by all. Please check out our Hoedown Photo Gallery here for some of the images we caught during the day.

Soccer winds down for the season

Bourkevale Bruins had a great season this year. They learned a lot about soccer and mostly, they had plenty of fun. Big thanks to the coaches!

Bourkevale's mini soccer season wrapped up June 26 after another another fun and exciting year. Bourkevale hosted several teams in 2014 and there was plenty of activity on the club's well-groomed soccer fields weekday evenings. Our volunteer ground crew did an exceptional job again maintaining the fields, including grass cutting, weed control and line painting. Without them, and our volunteer coaches and soccer convenor, Bourkevale would not have a soccer program. So remember parents, without your participation, there is no soccer!

Brighter nights ahead for south rink

New LED lights went up on the south rink this week.

Bourkevale Community Centre has installed new lights on the south rink, part of a complete overhaul to the club's lighting system this year which is expected to cut energy costs by 40%. New LED lights were installed this week to replace the old street-lamp style lamps that have illuminated the south rink for decades. The sleek, square-shaped LED lights will only use a fraction of the electricity the old lamps consumed and are expected to emit more even lighting. Bourkevale has upgraded all of its lighting, indoor and out, which was funded by a City of Winnipeg Community Centre Renovation Fund grant.

New lights will use a fraction of electricity of old lamps.

Old lamps served the south rink well 

Bourkevale sets new ice rink record

Bourkevale's ice rinks and skate room set another record this year. Our south rink was open until March 31 in 2014, beating out the previous modern-day record of March 23 set the previous year. The colder-than-average weather allowed the club to open the ice relatively early this season, on Nov. 27. As a result, the rinks were open four straight months, about a month longer than usual.
Meanwhile, Old Man Winter not only brought us record-setting cold temperatures and bone-chilling windchills this season, he also saddled us with frequent and heavy snowfalls, all of which made the business of ice-making and rink maintenance extremely challenging. We'd like to thank our volunteer ice makers Jeff Valgardson and Ron Templeton for their herculean efforts in keeping our rinks clear and in great shape — uninterrupted — for the entire season. Also, a special thanks to Scotty Nystrom and others who helped out with the rinks this year.

Bourkevale hockey school wraps up

Bourkevale's hockey school for kids wrapped up this month with an extended ice season, thanks to cooler than normal weather. The program's inaugural season was a great success, with kids aged 6 to 10 receiving instruction in the fundamentals of hockey, including skating, passing and puck control. The program's success was due in part to the number of parents who helped with instruction on ice, even during some of the colder days. The kids enhanced their hockey skills throughout the season and mostly had a lot of fun, including a wind-up at the end of the season.

Leafs win Apuckalypse Now Cup

Apuckalypse Now returned to Bourkevale for its Third Annual Hockey Tournament Feb. 8. Organizers, a live play-by-play announcer, referees and six teams — this year naming themselves after the NHL's "original six" clubs — braved the frigid temperatures as players vied for the honour of winning the Apuckalypse Now Cup.
Friends, family and kids cheered on their teams and packed the skate room to take in an afternoon Winnipeg Jets game on the club's new HD TV. The tournament began Saturday morning and teams played well into the evening under the lights on the club's north rink. After a spirited final matchup against the Rangers, the Maple Leafs won The Apuckalypse Now Cup in a 3-1 victory.

Day care kids help Bourkevale prep for skating season

You might be surprised at how much work goes into getting Bourkevale's ice rinks ready for the winter season. Boards need to be replaced, equipment like the club's tractor and snowblower must be serviced and hoses have to be inspected.
Most importantly, though — to ensure our rinks are in tip-top shape and ready for a season of skating — the boards around both rinks must be painted. That's where the kids from Assiniboine Children's Centre came in this season. The children spent a good part of a day in August painting the boards white. And they did a superb job. The boards have never looked so good. A big thanks to all the children and staff at Assiniboine Children's Centre for their outstanding effort on this project. The Bourkevale community thanks you.

Digging out during heavy snowfall season

Our volunteer ice crew was up early Saturday morning Jan. 4 getting the ice ready after a massive snow dump Friday.

Bruins compete at Jets Challenge tournament

Bourkevale Bruins 11A2 compete at the MTS Jets Challenge CUP at MTS Iceplex over the holidays.

Bourkevale gets new HD TV

Don't miss any of your favourite TV sporting events over the holidays at Bourkevale, including the World Junior Championships, Winnipeg Jets games, NFL match-ups and even pre-Olympic competition. Bourkevale has installed a 50-inch TV in the skate room for the viewing pleasure of all community members. Come out for a skate, some tobogganing and a hot chocolate and cheer on your favourite teams.
Remember, we have extended hours over the holiday season.

Merry Christmas

Rinks, skate room now open

Bourkevale's skate room, canteen and ice rinks are now open for the season. Thanks to our volunteer ice crew who have been flooding the rinks around the clock since last week, both rinks are now open.
Regular hours begin Wednesday, Nov. 27, one of the earliest start dates in recent years.
Skate room hours are as follows:

Monday - Friday: 6 pm - 9 pm
Sat-Sun - 1 pm -9 pm

Public skating (no sticks or pucks) will be held every Sunday from 1-3 pm on the south rink.

Track construction breaks ground

St. James-Assiniboia School Division began construction of its new running track and soccer field at St. James Collegiate the week of August 19.
The division received approval from the city of Winnipeg's Board of Adjustment on Aug. 9. The school board also finalized a lease agreement with the city for the section of the project that encroaches 35 metres onto Bourkevale Community Centre property.
"The school board is very pleased that construction of the new track and soccer field will soon be started," board Chairman Bruce Chegus told the Bourkevale Bulletin. "It has been a collaborative effort by all concerned to move the project forward to this point — it will be great to have it completed for the students and the community to use and enjoy."
The project includes a regulation-size running track and a full-size soccer field in the middle of the track. As part of the agreement, the division has also agreed to build a 3/4 soccer field on Bourkevale land. Bourkevale residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of the project at a community vote held in February.
The project could be completed as early as this fall, depending on factors such as the weather and the logistics of the company doing the work.

BCC soccer a big hit this year — again!

Bourkevale's soccer program continued to flourish this year, with new soccer nets added to the west side of the field and improvements made on our already impeccably groomed mini-fields. Bourkevale fielded teams this year from a wide range of ages, all the way down to our 5/6 mini teams. A big thanks to all our volunteers who made the spring season happen, including coaches, field maintenance personnel (thanks Cam!) and of course our soccer convenor Natasha. Click "photos" above to see more soccer pictures. If you have any great soccer action shots, send them to bourkevale@gmail.com and we may include them in our photo gallery.

Bourkevale supports bike-to-work day

Bourkevale Community Centre was one of many official "pit stops" during Bike to Work Day on Friday June 21. Located along a busy biking/walking/jogging trail, the club recognized it was a natural location to set up a pit stop to help encourage people to leave their cars at home and get cycling to work. The club serviced 53 cyclists between 6:30 and 9 a.m. Stella's donated two dozen muffins and Tim Horton's donated two boxes of coffee. A big thanks to volunteers Elaine and Scotty Nystrom for organizing the pit stop and manning the station.

Ice rink season comes to a close

Well, it was bound to happen. Bourkevale's ice rinks officially closed March 26 in 2013. Our talented ice makers kept the south rink going as long as possible this season, with early-morning floods, patch jobs and the tender-loving-care they're famous for. But the late-March sun rays finally took over.
A big thanks to our ice makers Ron Templeton, Jeff Valgardson and Scotty Nystrom — and everyone else who helped along the way, including Mike Templeton — for the outstanding work they did this year. It was a very challenging season with twice the amount of average snowfall.
As far as we can tell, being open until March 26 is a modern-day record for Bourkevale. We normally shut the ice rinks down in the first week of March.
The canteen/skate room will open again for the spring soccer season in May and June.

Bourkevale skaters enjoy great ice well into March

Track project gets thumbs up

Bourkevale residents have thrown their support behind a proposal to build a new running track at St. James Collegiate.

In a 57 to 25 vote, the majority of Bourkevale residents who cast a ballot in a two-day vote held at the club this week expressed their support for the proposed project.

In percentage terms, 69.5% of voters supported the project while 30.5% opposed it.

 “Our goal was to get area residents involved in this project and to allow them to decide the fate of the proposal in a democratic fashion,” said Bourkevale Community Centre president Gary Kristiansen. “I think we succeeded in doing that.”

At the request of Bourkevale Community Centre, St. James-Assiniboine School Division recently held two, well-attended public information meetings on the proposed project. Bourkevale’s volunteer board of directors decided last year to hold a community vote on the proposal to allow area residents to express their will on whether it should proceed or not.

The school division is seeking to build a regulation-size running track behind St. James Collegiate which would require a portion of Bourkevale’s land to complete the project. The track would encroach 35 metres onto Bourkevale property.

“It’s important the community has a voice in decisions like these and we’re happy to announce our residents were granted that voice,” said Kristiansen.

A total of 82 area residents cast their ballots in the vote. There were no spoiled ballots. Two independent scrutineers who do not live in the area and who have no vested interest in the outcome of the vote volunteered to count the ballots for Bourkevale. The scrutineers were David Kuxhaus and Bob Weselowski, both of whom work for the Manitoba Ombudsman’s office.

Results of the vote will be confirmed by Bourkevale Community Centre’s board of directors at its next meeting February 21. Board meetings are open to the public.

Bourkevale Bruins win gold in Altona

The Bourkevale Bruins 10A2 team won gold in the Altona Atom Bronze tournament Jan. 20, going unbeaten in the competition and defeating the Teulon Tigers 5-2 for the championship. Great job Bruins!
Check out tournament video here.

Big thanks to our volunteer ice crew

A big round of applause to our volunteer ice crew and their tireless efforts to provide Bourkevale Community Centre with the best outdoor ice in the city. Despite 20 centimetres of blowing snow and frigid temperatures this past weekend, our ice crew had both rinks cleared and ready to go for skating by Saturday afternoon. We were one of the few community centre ice rinks open this weekend. In case you don't know, all the work putting in the ice and maintaining it throughout the season is done by local volunteers. A big thanks to Ron Templeton, Jeff Valgardson, Scotty Nystrom, Andrew Kelch and Mike Templeton for their great work on the ice this season. From those of us who use and enjoy the ice regularly, we salute you!

River sliding a tradition at Bourkevale

Ice sliding onto the Assiniboine River at Bourkevale in the 1930s. These guys knew how to have fun!

Ice slides and toboggan runs have been a tradition at Bourkevale for many years, as evidenced by this historic picture that was just submitted to Bourkevale Community Centre. This slide was built by the Bourke family and friends circa the 1930s on what was then the Bourke family farm, about 20 years before Bourkevale Community Centre was established. It was located approximately 50 feet west of the current toboggan slide. Look for more historic pictures and information in the New Year about the Bourke family, their farm and the events that led to Bourkevale becoming a nine-hole golf course, a park and eventually a community centre.

City helps Bourkevale mark anniversary

Coun. Scott Fielding presents Bourkevale president Gary Kristiansen with a commemorative plaque

Bourkevale Community Centre celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the official opening of its clubhouse this month. The main clubhouse officially opened Dec. 5, 1952. Coun. Scott Fielding (St. James-Brooklands) was on hand to present the club with a commemorative plaque Dec. 14 to mark the occasion during Bourkevale's monthly board of directors meeting.
"I'd like to congratulate Bourkevale for 60 years of service, it's fantastic," said Fielding. "We should be proud of all the hard work volunteers have done over the years to keep the centre going."

Bourkevale celebrates 60th Anniversary of clubhouse

Joan Jackson, circa 1953 at new clubhouse

Sixty years ago, Bourkevale Community Centre officially opened its clubhouse on Dec. 5, 1952. It was a grand affair whose presence included then-mayor of St. James Reginald Wightman who cut the ceremonial ribbon with club president Art Stephens and past-president Bob Pyne. The club was packed with area residents on that Friday night and folks enjoyed a night of dancing, a live band and good times with neighbours and friends.
Bourkevale Community Centre has a rich history dating back to 1949, three years before the club finally got its own clubhouse, which was dragged down Ferry Road from the airport and installed at the present site.
We have launched a new Bourkevale history website which chronicles the early efforts of area residents to establish their local club, the struggles and challenges they encountered — including the tragic death of a young boy — and the success they ultimately enjoyed.
It's a remarkable story. Click here to explore the early days of Bourkevale and discover why this club, 60 years later, is still so important to our community.

Rinks are open, new season begins

First game of shinny of the season on the north rink, Dec. 1, 2012.

Bourkevale's rinks officially opened Saturday, Dec. 1. And it didn't take long for players to toss their sticks into centre-ice to kick off the season with the first shinny game of the year. With puck-board installed behind the nets this fall and new Bourkevale logos on each end of the ice, the rinks are looking fabulous. A giant thanks to our volunteer ice-makers Ron Templeton, Jeff Valgardson and Scotty Nystrome for their tireless efforts over the past two weeks to get the rinks ready.

New puck board installed on ice rinks

Bourkevale's volunteer ice crew was busy installing some new product on the north and south rinks this past week. The club is putting in new "puck board" material to help strengthen and enhance the look of the boards behind each net. Look for new "Bourkevale Bruins" logos on the boards, too.
The project has a budget of $4,000, which is made possible by all the fundraising and other revenue-generating efforts by volunteers at the club.  Thanks to volunteers Ron Templeton and Jeff Valgardson for their tireless efforts keeping our rinks in tip-top shape.