For decades, Nick Bonnar of Glace Bay, N.S., has been volunteering his time to help kids improve their skills on the ice. However, this hockey season begins with the 74-year-old needing a helping hand. “It’s pretty unusual for us to be in this situation,” Bonnar said on Sunday. What is needed is hockey gear. The storage room at the Miner’s Forum in Glace Bay might look like it’s full, however, Bonnar said what they do not have enough of is equipment that will fit the smallest skaters. “Like our two, three, four-year-old group, we need small gear,” Bonnar said. “The elbow pads, pants, gloves - we’ve got lots of shoulder pads, but we need the little things.” This week marks the start of the twelfth year for Bonnar’s Learn to Skate program. It is meant as an affordable introduction to the game for families who can’t afford the expenses of organized hockey or haven’t yet made the commitment. Organizers collect donations of gear to try and suit-up as many kids as possible. “In the last two weeks, we probably gave out 23 sets of gear - not all together, but pieces of gear,” Bonnar said. The Learn to Skate program does not only help children and their families in the Glace Bay area. Bonnar – referred to by many as Coach Nick - said that families from 18 different communities across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality come through his doors each week. “I can’t even explain why, but we need help,” he said. The Learn to Skate program has needed an assist from the public in the past - once when there was a flood in the room where the equipment is stored and another time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bonnar said he could not quite put a finger on the root cause of his gear shortage this time, although the cost of living no doubt is not helping. “Things are tight, but if they can afford one piece of gear to us, that’s one kid that is going to be happy,” Bonnar said. He added he will have a better idea of just how much equipment is needed once this season’s skaters have all hit the ice by the end of the week. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
