“Everyone has a different reason for coming,” said Coach Dustin Pugh. “We don’t view ourselves as an alternative to Minor Hockey, we view ourselves as an organization that strives for the gold standard of youth programming; that’s the goal. We fall short sometimes, but that’s what we strive for. That, and to keep our program going.”

Presently, the program has five teams with kids from the ages of five to 17 that play against other rec teams from towns such as Souris, Alexander, Forrest, Virden, Gretna, Neepawa, and others. Numbers have stayed steady according to Pugh, but the joy of rural Manitoba is that now kids who participated in the program in the ‘90’s have grown up and are bringing their own kids to the program. 

“It’s the same people,” Pugh said with a laugh. “We’ve got generational turn-over.”

Not only do past players put their kids in the program, but they stay and help out, too. “Countless volunteers make this happen. They’re happy to do it, too, we’ve never had to twist anyone’s arm.”

Over the past 30 years, Ninga Rec Hockey has been doing its best to not only keep kids having fun on the ice, but also make sure the ice is still there for kids to have fun on. “It’s important to keep the program going, not just for the kids, but for the community and to keep the facility going.”

Re-built after a fire in the 1960’s, the rink in Ninga has seen both boom and bust years in terms of usage, however, in the last decade or two, and particularly after 2020, it has been less boom and more bust. Last spring, a fundraising auction was held to raise money for much needed repairs to the building, which are well underway, and besides hockey, it hosts events like markets, dinners, and even Saturday morning coffee where citizens of Ninga catch up and chat. 

“It really is made possible by the community, and in a way, has made the community possible, too.”

by JACQUIE MAYNARD Recorder staff