STREET HOCKEY TOURNAMENT BIG HIT WITH KIDS

BY RICHARD CLEROUX

t has become an annual rite of spring in Old Ottawa South. For the sixth consecutive year, more than 150 youngsters and adults took part in the Old Ottawa South Street Hockey Tournament on Bellwood Ave on Sunday morning April 16.

Bellwood Ave was closed to traffic for two hours between Belmont and Sunnyside. Goalie nets were set up. Five simultaneous games were organized and everybody let loose with shouts of joy as they raced about over the asphalt to their youthful hearts' content along the entire length of the city block

Compared to previous years, this year there were more older men taking part, some who should have known better, their breaths coming in short, snorted gasps, as they chased the yellow tennis balls back with their worn down straight blade hockey sticks.

About 50 spectators, as well as assorted dogs, cats and small children, some in hockey uniforms, stood on the sidelines watching and cheering, or waited their turn to play.

The teams made up their own rules. Some teams played with six players, others with 10 players and some with as many as they could round up.

All players had to be either residents of Old Ottawa South or happen to be visiting the neighborhood on that day. That sort of covered everyone who showed up.

If players arrived without a team, a team was formed for them. Hockey sticks were provided for those who had forgotten theirs.

A special area was set aside for the under five group and they played their own game with one net and no goalie. That way everybody won and nobody got scored against.

The City of Ottawa approved closing the street, thanks to Ray Fournier. Ray Leduc's people furnished street barricades. Parents brought about 15 dozen wieners and buns, enough to go around for the entire tournament with seconds for some. Lots of parents brought drinks and lemonade.

Bellwood residents Matt Sanger and Mary O'Neill were particularly generous. They even hauled out their BBQ and brought the dogs and buns too.

City Councillor Inez Berg  officiated at the honorary face-off. Berg was later pressed into service along with Regional Councillor Clive Doucet fixing wieners for the hungry players. It was old time community fun at its best.

The idea of staging an annual Street Hockey tournament to welcome the arrival of spring and help bring the community closer together through its youngsters began six years ago with former Bellwood Avenue resident Forrest Smith.

The plan next year to is pick a set date for the tournament every year, such as the day after the Ottawa Centre house-league hockey banquet, or maybe the Sunday before Easter, or maybe another day, but some regular date so people could plan their participation ahead of time.

You can write to cleroux@istar.ca or 34 Bellwood Ave, K1S 1S7 if you have any particular date in mind for next year.