Save The Oval!

If you live in Nova Scotia and you haven’t heard about Ovalgate then I must conclude you’ve been living under a rock, or in a cave maybe, and have no access to electricity or even a radio. In fact, you probably won’t even be reading this post. I will admit that upon first hearing Halifax’s proposal of building an outdoor rink for the 2011 Canada Games I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat - actually I was, but it was for a different reason; I thought it was a stupid idea. There was something about the idea of ruining The Halifax Commons, digging it up and cementing a section for some speed skating competition, and then tearing it all down, just didn’t sit well with me. It felt like the city was selling out to the Canada Games. I know, it’s a typical Nova Scotian response - don’t be selling out to the big guys. And NO, I’m not on the Heritage Trust.

Thanks to the Atlantica for this great picture

I passed by the Oval everyday on my way to work. I watched them bulldoze, put fences up, lay down the piping and cement, and everyday it stirred up all sorts of negative emotions inside of me. I couldn’t believe they were actually ripping up the commons for Speed Skating, of all things. I would just sit and shake my head in disgust. I believe the Commons is meant to be Halifax’s COMMON SPACE. It was given to the city in 1763 by King George III and it’s Canada’s oldest urban park. Its history goes way back to the creation of The Citadel and this city.

But then, when it was all done and the first sheets of ice were starting to build, I thought, “oh, it does look pretty cool,” but then the other voice inside of me said “grr.. it ripped up the commons!!!” None the less, I was more intrigued everyday. I even vowed to myself that I would actually try it out when it opened to the public for free...because, you know, I couldn’t do anything about it now, it was there, so I might as well give it a try.

When it opened up in December, something miraculous took place. Maybe it was because it was Christmas time but I think my heart must have grown three sizes. As corny as it sounds, watching the people skate and the joy on their faces was heart warming. People from all over the city were excited to try out this new oval. It was everyone’s favorite topic of conversation. People couldn’t wait to get their skates sharpened and get on that sheet of ice and it has inspired many people to wake up from winter hibernation and participate in an fun outdoor activity. HRM has even included a SkateHRM section to their website to keep everyone up to date on the activities and schedules of the Oval. (Or you can just follow them on twitter or facebook. To date, over 65,000 people have visited the Oval. It’s gotten us moving and, best of all, it seems to have united the city in ways that no concerts or large events has ever done in the past (or at least to my recollection). It was not just an sheet of ice in the form of an oval anymore, it became something that means just a little bit more...

Now here comes the heart-wrenching part...... the Oval is scheduled to be dismantled in March when the Canada Games are finished which would leave Halifax without an outdoor skating park once again. But fear not, we are a passionate city and we will fight for the things that mean the most to us. I will admit, there are some of us who want the Oval gone for a variety of reasons, like cost and wanting to preserve to The Commons for... umm... the people who like to sit on the grass (??). But those are few and far between. The majority of people in this city believe in the Oval as a much needed change.

Support has been pouring in from all areas in an effort to help save the Oval after the Canada Games. Several interested citizens and business owners decided to build their own website entirely dedicated to the cause and post an online petition to help Save our Oval, its called.. ba dap ba... SaveTheOval.ca. On Tuesday January 26th, they presented the petition that has been signed by over 9,000 residents in efforts to save the Oval. Other business have also been getting involved, and Goodlife Fitness was said to have pledged upwards of $200,000 for the naming rights. The 1990 World Figure Skating Championship Legacy Fund has pledged $100,000, no strings attached, to help provide funding. Until hearing that, I didn’t even know we held the 1990 World Figure Skating Championships in Halifax (hey, I wasn’t very old at the time).

Rick Mercer has said that the Oval is Halifax’s feel good story of the year and I believe he’s right. Not only has it brought the community together to rally for a common cause, it has caused an excitement about the upcoming Canada Games beyond what anyone could imagine. It has ignited a sense of pride that will probably be looked upon as the greatest legacy that the Canada Games 2011 will have left us.

To learn more about the Oval, ways they are hoping to save it, how you can donate towards funding, and to sign the petition please check out Savetheoval.ca.  But if you really want to show city counsel that the the Oval is worth saving, the best way is  to get out there and use it.

Do you think Halifax should save the Oval? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

NovaFamous: 2 Cups and a Super Bowl

Super Bowl weekend is almost here and do you know who the only person to ever to have won the Vanier Cup, the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl? It’s Nova Scotian Tyrone Williams. I’m not going to lie, football is not my forte. Like most Canadians I’m a hockey fan. I’ve gone to a quite a few Saint Mary’s Huskies games and I do get the very basics. And by basics I mean, Williams is a wide receiver and I had to wikipedia it to find out what exactly that position entails.

Williams was born in Halifax and played both football and basketball at the no longer in existence Queen Elizabeth High School. (He more than likely practiced on the Halifax Commons so I wonder what he thinks of The Oval?) He went to the University of Western Ontario where he won the Vanier Cup along with the Ted Morris Award as a Mustang. For those how are football illiterate like me, the Ted Morris Award is the Vanier Cup’s MVP, Vanier Cup being Canadian universities Super Bowl. He was also a two time Canadian All-Star and Four time Ontario All-Star.  After graduation he was off to the NFL where he technically won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys in 1993 even though he never actually dressed for the game. He was suppose to play but due to other players injuries they had to dress different positions (or something like that).

After that he then headed to the CFL where he joined the Toronto Argonauts. Footnote: Argonauts were a group of heroes that sailed around in a ship ...well, being heroes in Greek Mythology such as Hercules and Orpheus. (something I didn’t have to wiki, yay!) Anyhoo, in 1996, he helped them win the 84th Grey Cup. Apparently the weather wasn’t the best, it was -10c and heavy snow fall...brrr  Take a look at the video from a Grey Cup Classic Moment and watch the players slide through the snow to a touche down.

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Sports, You’ll be good at them!

In case you haven’t heard, Halifax is the host city for the 2011 Canada Winter Games. That’s right, from Feb 11th-27th, Nova Scotia will be overflowing with sporting events and you can get in on the action to possibly see the NEXT SIDNEY CROSBY! Because SIDNEY CROSBY played in the Canada Winter Games once! You could possibly see the NEXT SIDNEY CROSBY! You don’t want to miss that!

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

We get it. Sidney Crosby is a big deal here in Nova Scotia; we love him and he once played in the Canada Games for Nova Scotia but he’s not the only reason why you should check out the Games. People tend to enjoy watching sports because they find them inspiring. Athletic competitions have come to represent the basic human social condition and it’s need for fulfillment. The protagonist looking deep inside of him/herself, overcoming obstacles and barriers; and winning against all odds. Our society is built on competition, both individual and collective, and it is what propels us forward. Blah Blah Blah.. in the end, it’s fun to watch sports because unless you’re a severely depressed or morbid person, everyone loves to watch a success story and there is always a success story in sports. 

The Canada Games have already contributed a lot to Halifax and Nova Scotia in terms of infrastructure and facilities (i.e. The Oval on the Commons). I’m excited to see Nova Scotia host this event and I cannot wait to catch some of the games. We’ll try to keep up to date on all 2011 Canada Winter Games news. 

Tickets are available on a first come first serve basis at the door unless it is for one of the select events that listed on the 2011 Canada Games website. You can purchase tickets here.

So I guess that means that if you wanted tickets to the curling finals and don’t have them already, you’re pretty much SOL. You could try Kijiji. 

The official merchandise shop is in Barrington Place Shops called 02.2011 Boutique. I haven’t officially checked it out, but it’s in the same building complex as the Delta Barrington and The Plaid Shop. Or you could shop online . 

Just for fun, here’s a youtube link to Halifax's own Picnicface crew commercial for Powerthirst, an energy drink that makes you good at sports from which the blog post title tag line comes from...

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