Program offering free skating lessons across P.E.I.

The holidays may beofficially over for most but winter time fun is just beginning.

Starting todaygo!PEI, a community organization that promotes healthy living, is offering free skating lessons Islanders 18 and under. It's also offering another program allowing those over 18 to skate for free..

'Quintessential winter activity'

Vicki Tse, the provincial programcoordinatorfor go!PEI, said they wanted to provide an activity they felt best represented Canada.

"Skating is such a quintessential winter activity, and when you think of Canada, winter is one of the first things that comes to mind" said she said.

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The free skate program is funded by Canadian Tire Jumpstart, a charity that finances community development.

The lessons will take place in several indoor rinks across P.E.I. including Charlottetown, Summerside, Borden-Carleton, Georgetown and Tyne Valley.

Tse said it was important for her team to provide an Island wide opportunity.

"The Island is very unique. When I came to the Island a year ago, I approached it as one large community with unique differences region to region but given the unique landscape of the province, we can deliver programs tip to tip," said Tse.

Bringing Islanders together

Select rinks will provide skates and helmets and an hour for Islanders to work with instructors from Andrew's Hockey School.

Tse said she hopes the skating programs will help bring Islanders together.

"When I think of it from the perspective of people who are new to the island, new to Canada, what would be one of the first experiences that they'd like, and from what I see skating is always really interesting," said Tse.

The program runs until March and those interested in participating can find the schedule here.

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