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Rink-rat duo keep Scugog on ice In January of 2009 John Mackey and Al Fulford were named to the Mayor’s Honour Roll in recognition of the countless hours they have spent tending and Laretaking the skating rinks in front of the Port Perry Marina. Over the years many Port Perry residents, as well as people from neighbouring communities and tourists, have enjoyed skating and playing hockey on these rinks thet, but for the grace of community service, would not exis ‘al Fulford graciously gives John Mackey all the credit for the rink’s existence and success. Al came on the scene about eleven years ago and he became involved in the rink’s maintenance about nine years ago. Aland his wife Deb live above the marina store and run the Boardwalk Café, a charming little café at the waters edge that caters to boaters, snowmobilers, ice fish- erman and everybody else who wanders through their door. John Mackey was born in Port Perry and although raised in Oshawa, John spent every summer in Port as both his grandparents lived here. At sixteen, John started working for Bill Kendry, owner of the Port Perry Marina. In July of 1984 he 16 FOCUS - MARCH 2011 MARCH. FOCUS.32indd 16 bought the marina and it was during the winter of ’84 that he created a small rink that has now grown into what you see today. When asked what motivated him to tackle the work involved in creating and maintaining a skating rink John responded “I made the rink for purely selfish reasons. I wanted a place to play hockey with my buddies”. Back in the winter of 84/85 the rink was much smaller — its size being determined by the amount of work involved. John cleared the area and flooded the space with a bilge pump that pulled water from the lake. The flooding, shovelling and general maintenance was a lot of work but John was happy to do it. The hockey /skating rink remained small until 1986 when John bought a plow which allowed him to clear more snow and faster. The flooding was still a slow process but the rink was proving to be more and more popular. Other people started using the rink, giving meaning to the saying, “If you build it, they will come”. Al Fulford got involved with the rink he says, be- cause of the café, his rapport with John and the fact that he had a tractor. Al’s tractor made clearing snow and 22/1 7:58:53 AM