The scene on Kalamalka Lake Saturday looked like a perfect Canadian postcard.
People with hockey jerseys and fuzzy toques skating on the ice close to Kal beach in the sunshine, as the cold temperatures caused vapour to rise off the water in the background.
A group of friends playing a game of shinny went as far as bringing nets.
“We borrowed them from our neighbours who have young kids,” said Kevin Cleland, a Vernon resident for 14 years and who can only remember being able to skate at Kal beach a few times.
Down the beach from the hockey game kids followed a maze-like path around the ice playing tag and stopping to lay on their bellies as they searched for fish through the clear ice.
Bill Lovelace came for a skate with his wife Pamela Balcaen and their daughters Erica Lovelace, 10, and Ana Lovelace, eight.
“I think we have been able to do this with the girls about three time before this,” said Bill.
“A couple years ago it was really good and I made a really long maze which was really fun.”
One of the challenges of playing hockey on the lake is when the puck misses the net there are no boards to stop it from its flight path and makes for extra skating.
“That’s the problem when you only play a couple times a year, your accuracy isn’t that great,” chuckles Bill.
