Skating on thin ice? An interrogation of Canada’s melting pastime

ABSTRACTOutdoor hockey is considered a quintessentially “Canadian” leisure pursuit, and is enjoyed on rinks constructed in local parks within urban centres as well as on frozen ponds in rural regions of the country. Such experiences are being threatened, however, due to increasingly warming winter months and shortened skating seasons caused by climate change. This paper explores the meaning behind the loss of outdoor hockey for Canadians by outlining socio-historical narratives that posit hockey as a symbol of childhood memory, nationhood, and romanticized fantasy. Such fantasies are unsettled, however, when juxtaposed with the current realities of the game, which, rather than taking place in its “natural” state, occurs primarily indoors. The migration of hockey into climate-controlled facilities is symbolic of a Canadian physical activity culture that disproportionately favours organized, competitive sport. This privileging of organized sport has not been met, however, with increased physical activity am...