HOK #90: John Dingwall

Meet John Dingwall.

“I’ve always liked Ottawa because it’s a small big town. It’s a town of over a million people but it’s still humble in its own way. The Kitchissippi area does a lot to get people out doing things, it’s very unique and has it’s own appeal to it, unlike cookie-cutter suburbia.

“This is my third year volunteering at the Fisher Park rink. Steve Potter did it for years, but moved out of the area and Greg McDougal and I took over the reins and this is the second year of us doing it by ourselves. On paper we have 20 volunteers but preferably we would like 30 people. We need that many people to create nightly teams of four or five because we know everyone is busy these days. We are always looking for volunteers and we would welcome the first woman to volunteer. We have two different types of volunteers here, the attendants, which are usually high school students earning their volunteer hours, and the maintainers, who shovel and flood starting around 9 p.m. We have up to three pads of ice and a skating oval. I do it for the kids and to see people enjoying themselves. Our goal is to get kids away from technology and come play a game of hockey. If you want to volunteer you can email us at fisherparkodr@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.” Collected by Ellen Bond

Humans of Kitchissippi is a special street photography project designed to introduce readers to some of the people who live, work, and play in Kitchissippi. Each instalment of HOK contains three elements: a photo, a name, and a quote from the subject that reveals a little bit about who they are. View our collection of humans right here.

Leave a comment