Celebrating 40 years at the Acadia Recreation Complex (ARC), Craig Recksiedler has seen more ice than most northerners. He has been an ice maker his whole life and has seen a lot of change during his time at the ARC.
Coming from a small town in southern Manitoba, Craig grew up on the family farm and was always seen with a curling broom, hockey stick, or guitar in his hands. During the long, cold winter months, he volunteered as an icemaker at the outdoor skating rink, and two curling sheets.
Craig moved to Calgary in the early 80s and following everything he already knew, he walked straight into the ARC in 1984 and was amazed at this new modern facility that housed multipurpose rooms, a hall, courts, hockey rink, and ten sheets of curling ice! He approached the guy in charge, who immediately said they weren’t hiring. However, persistent Craig said he “would work for free”. Those were the magical words, and he was ‘hired’ on the spot. This position consisted of every dirty job in the building, but after a few weeks of hard labour, he was officially hired, and 40 years later here he is, still making ice! No one knows the ice, or the building better than Craig does. He has remained the one constant when everything else around him was changing.
Now with his Level 3 Ice Technician ticket in hand, he has had the opportunity to make ice at every major event to hit Calgary. He has made ice for the Curling Trials for the Olympics in 1988, and many Canadian Women’s and Canadian Men’s Championships Briars, as well as Scottie’s Championships. He is so proud of all the big events, along with everything at the ARC. Like leading and training great teams of upcoming ice makers who have followed in his footsteps. Craig has overseen many renos inside and outside of the ARC, including the refrigerated floors in the ice arena and curling rink, and inserts in the curling rocks.
Craig has made so many friends over the years from customers, staff, and board members. Every day is a new day, and he continues to love the challenge of making the perfect sheet of curling ice!
For fun, Craig’s passion is music, and he plays in a band called the Wandering V’s, where he acts as singer songwriter for the group. They play all around Calgary and he would love you to come and listen sometime!
Craig has been an integral part of the Acadia Recreation complex team for 40 years and he continues to show up regularly to make ice. One has to wonder how many times he has walked around the globe with the number of steps he has made over the 40 years of walking up and down each sheet, but as he coasts into retirement (not yet, we are told) he just wants to enjoy an ice-cold beer!
Everyone from the Acadia Community Association board and the Acadia Recreation Complex wish Craig a huge congratulations on this remarkable achievement!
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