Breton's rural arena more than just a skate - Drayton Valley and District Free Press

Brandy Fredrickson, Free Press

There’s something to be said about heading out to rural Alberta during a pandemic. There’s more space, less people, which all boils down to a bit more freedom.

This weekend we hit the highway to the Village of Breton. The village is located about 35 minutes, or 51 km southeast of Drayton Valley. It’s one of a few places in Alberta who share a unique historic link to the black migration that happened at the turn of the 20th century. The lumbering and logging industry established the economic roots for a community that is now primarily agriculture and oil and gas based.

On a “normal” weekday morning, the mainstreet of Breton is all a bustle as residents from around the community come into town to run errands, and socialize. The village is home to two golf courses, a municipal campground, a museum, a skate park and multiple playgrounds. It is safe to say that recreation is at the heart of the community and this is what brought us to Breton.

Each year volunteers from the Breton Elks take general care of the community outdoor arena and so with Dec. 12 being the anniversary of my birth and opening day of the outdoor rink I loaded up the kids to go skating in what anyone could attest to being a pretty cold and windy winter day.

How to get there

The Breton outdoor arena is attached to the municipal campground, and the municipal golf course. From Alsike, driving South on Hwy 20 you will turn West at the Breton Esso (55 Ave), at the end of the road a few hundred yards, you will turn left onto 47 Street and to your right you will see the Breton Golf Course club house and a small building to the south. The arena is to the west of this building and takes a very short walk to get there. Under normal circumstances the heated building makes for a nice warm-up spot but currently it is closed due to Covid restrictions. But, there are two benches alongside the building, and a rubber mat so getting skates on and off is not a problem.

Once you are there

If you are as lucky as we were to have the whole ice surface to ourselves, you can let loose. We forgot hockey sticks, pucks and balls but we pulled out a toboggan disc with a rope and between standing still and falling down, the kids took turns being pulled around on the toboggan. Incidentally with the smooth flood, and I mean the flood job the Elks did was amazing, that toboggan really picked up some speed. Both of my kids had to do the tuck and roll maneuver once their white knuckles couldn’t hold on any longer.

We lasted about an hour before fingers and toes were too cold to carry on. While this skating experience is not one you will find on the Travel Alberta instagram feed, when you take away the mountains, the crowds, and the hours and hours travel time, not to mention bathroom breaks and whining in the backseat, it is no less enjoyable than what you will find skating on Lake Louise. Actually, if I may be so bold, it was better than skating on Lake Louise, I cannot say enough what a good flood it was. And a quick trip does wonders for a backyard bucket list experience.

So if you are looking for ways to socially distance, and get a little exercise look no further than your regional rural neighbourhood outdoor arena.