News
By David Menzies
When you think of Canada, what comes to mind? There’s the “Three Ms” (moose, Mounties and maple syrup.) Tim Hortons. Fields of wheat. And surely, that great Canadian game known as street hockey.
Indeed, who amongst us hasn’t grabbed an old Koho stick and a ratty tennis ball to play a little old time shinny – not on a sheet of ice but upon a crescent of blacktop, the air punctuated by wood scraping the asphalt and the occasional cry of “Car!”
But alas, a man in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. found out – the hard way – that in some municipalities, the great Canadian pastime of street hockey is strictly verboten.
Earlier this month, David Sasson was fined $75 for taking playing road hockey with his seven-year-old son and his young friends. Evidently, a neighbour found the sight and sounds of kids playing street hockey offensive. Instead of turning the other cheek, that person called the city to complain about the noise and the traffic disruption.
“It's a disgrace,” Sasson told Montreal radio station CJAD News. “Kids are becoming obese every day. Here, my kids are out playing, enjoying the weather, not behind a television, not behind an Xbox, and I have to explain to them that in essence they broke the law and we can no longer do it.”
Sasson says there’s little if any traffic on the small crescent in front of his house.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux director general Jack Benzaquen says the municipality had to respond to the complaint because, well, the law is the law.
“The patroller was caught in a situation where he was damned if does something, damned if he doesn’t do something," Benzaquen said.
Meanwhile, the district’s worrywart councillor, Mickey Guttman, says the bylaw is there for security reasons.
“God forbid an accident happens,” Guttman says.
Sasson vows to fight the ticket in court, adding that common sense should prevail.
“Kids having fun and playing on their street safely with parental supervision is a bit better than them hanging out in a park doing who knows what without that supervision," he says. “It’s not for the $75. It’s for the 60,000 kids in Dollard and other cities who play street hockey.”
Thankfully, many share Sasson’s sentiments. So far, more than 500 people have signed a petition to strike down the bylaw that forbids street sports.
What’s more, Sasson recently organized another street hockey game to protest the bylaw. More than 200 people showed up for the game, which was played in a public parking lot across the street from Dollard-des-Ormeaux's city hall.
Notably, no bylaw enforcement officer dared to drop by that particular mega-match to hand out $75 tickets. Here’s hoping Sasson is successful in striking down such a killjoy bylaw. After all, is any motorist truly inconvenienced that much by a simply game of road shinny?
Say it loud; say it proud: “My Canada includes street hockey!”
Play On!
When you think of Canada, what comes to mind? There’s the “Three Ms” (moose, Mounties and maple syrup.) Tim Hortons. Fields of wheat. And surely, that great Canadian game known as street hockey.
Indeed, who amongst us hasn’t grabbed an old Koho stick and a ratty tennis ball to play a little old time shinny – not on a sheet of ice but upon a crescent of blacktop, the air punctuated by wood scraping the asphalt and the occasional cry of “Car!”
But alas, a man in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. found out – the hard way – that in some municipalities, the great Canadian pastime of street hockey is strictly verboten.
Earlier this month, David Sasson was fined $75 for taking playing road hockey with his seven-year-old son and his young friends. Evidently, a neighbour found the sight and sounds of kids playing street hockey offensive. Instead of turning the other cheek, that person called the city to complain about the noise and the traffic disruption.
“It's a disgrace,” Sasson told Montreal radio station CJAD News. “Kids are becoming obese every day. Here, my kids are out playing, enjoying the weather, not behind a television, not behind an Xbox, and I have to explain to them that in essence they broke the law and we can no longer do it.”
Sasson says there’s little if any traffic on the small crescent in front of his house.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux director general Jack Benzaquen says the municipality had to respond to the complaint because, well, the law is the law.
“The patroller was caught in a situation where he was damned if does something, damned if he doesn’t do something," Benzaquen said.
Meanwhile, the district’s worrywart councillor, Mickey Guttman, says the bylaw is there for security reasons.
“God forbid an accident happens,” Guttman says.
Sasson vows to fight the ticket in court, adding that common sense should prevail.
“Kids having fun and playing on their street safely with parental supervision is a bit better than them hanging out in a park doing who knows what without that supervision," he says. “It’s not for the $75. It’s for the 60,000 kids in Dollard and other cities who play street hockey.”
Thankfully, many share Sasson’s sentiments. So far, more than 500 people have signed a petition to strike down the bylaw that forbids street sports.
What’s more, Sasson recently organized another street hockey game to protest the bylaw. More than 200 people showed up for the game, which was played in a public parking lot across the street from Dollard-des-Ormeaux's city hall.
Notably, no bylaw enforcement officer dared to drop by that particular mega-match to hand out $75 tickets. Here’s hoping Sasson is successful in striking down such a killjoy bylaw. After all, is any motorist truly inconvenienced that much by a simply game of road shinny?
Say it loud; say it proud: “My Canada includes street hockey!”
Play On!
