The Town of Altona Recreation Department hosted a free Family Stick and Puck Session on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at the Millennium Exhibition Centre in Altona, Manitoba. This community event was designed to give local families a low-cost way to stay active as the winter season comes to an end.
The practice session ran from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and was open to children aged 12 and under who were joined by an adult. While families were invited to bring their own sticks and pucks for informal play, the rules required that no skates be worn on the surface and recommended that all participants wear helmets for safety.
The Millennium Exhibition Centre is a 75,000 square-foot facility that features an ice rink, a running track, and various community spaces. Since opening in 2003, it has served as a central hub for the town’s 4,390 residents to gather for sports and local meetings.
This event is part of a larger effort to provide more recreation options for youth in the area. The Altona Maroons Hockey Club has also been involved in supporting the community by sponsoring free ice time for players under the age of 18 during the current season.
Local leaders, including Recreation Services Manager Eric Hildebrand and coordinator Brittany Winkler, help manage these programs to ensure kids have space to play. A previous pilot project in the community successfully provided over 300 hours of free practice time for local youth.
