With only three ice surfaces in Okotoks and multiple organizations using them, residents are feeling the stress of having to travel just to get a little ice time.

Michelle Barratt has a son in Atom hockey and knows next year practices will be earlier for her sons team.

"Next year we start having 6:30 AM practices before school, causing tired kids and parents," says Barratt.

With the lack of ice sometimes practices are split between two teams, in the case of the Timbit ages it can sometimes be up to 4 teams, which has proven to be a set back in the training and development of the young athletes. 

Barratt says because of the ice being split teams are unable to do full ice stamina drills.

"Those drills are sometimes needed for game purposes because when the games get going our kids lack that aspect."

The lack of ice causes games for Okotoks teams to not always be in town, but the Okotoks Referee Association still assigns their officials to go and ref the games.

Brenda Honish, member of the ORA, says that sometimes sending them to games in places like Stavely means they have lost the official for the day.

"It takes 40 minutes to get there and the refs have to be there an hour before hand and then 40 minutes to come back," Honish says.

If more games were in town the refs could get two games back to back or do two games in the same day.

The Town of Okotoks is up for a Kraft Hockeyville nomination which if the town wins then they receive $100,000 towards arena upgrades.

To help Okotoks win you can hash tag #KHV_PASONCENTARENA.

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