Christmas Parties for All

Even our staff let loose and have a little bit of fun every holiday season. 3 of our finest: Ashley, the Cookie Lady, Tim, the Mr. Fix-It Operator, and Lucille, the Party Planner pose for one last photo prior to heading out for the evening's Christmas party. 

We can clean up if we have to!!

We've been naughty....

... we know. It's been a week since we last posted but our elves were just so busy planning for some Christmas Holiday festivities for members & patrons.

First up: A Free Christmas Skate for Sportsplex Members, Program Participants & Patrons!

Meet Debbie, our Program Administrator, but for today: Santa's #1 Helper!

Debbie hung out with the kids - doling out hot chocolate, apple cider, cookies, candy canes & all around good cheer while the kids got ready to hit the skate!

Step Away From the Paint.

We can't help but wonder if all the work on the team rooms...

(...before...)

(...after...)

... has left the boys a little loopy and wary of excessive painting & tiling?

 What say you Mel?

Yes?

That's what we thought too.

The Painted Ice

For us 'ice neophytes' out there, it's not just a painted concrete floor with water poured over top to cool into ice. (Yes, I was one of those people. I guess you really do learn something new everyday.)

No. I guess I was wrong.

Instead, it's a thin layer of water, cooled & frozen... and then painted, before further layers get added to the ice surface. So when the Zamboni comes tooling by, it's NOT scraping the painted surface off. Nor is the painted surface inches below on the concrete floor.

In fact, as with most things in this world... the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Apparently this is step one to learning how to be a defenseman - before you can guard the blue line, you need to make friends with the blue line... spend quality time with the blue line...

... while the refs & linesmen 'supervise'?

... do you think they're ever tempted to paint a giant shuffleboard on instead?

... if only it could stay like this forever...



Could this be YOUR desk?

You know.... each term programs come to an end and after a hard 10-12 weeks going all out, we tend to lose a few marbles. And at Christmas time, they just happen to be 'Festive Marbles' that get lost.

Would YOUR co-workers do this to you?

'Cuz we didn't hesitate to do it here!

(please help us find our marbles....)

An Angel A Day?

The Information Desk put up their Christmas Tree this past weekend...

and after much debate: hand made star, or redesigned doll/angel, they settled on the redesigned doll/angel for the tree top.

But if you come in today, you'll notice the tree is angel-less...

As Ashley, our cookie lady, said, "I don't understand why Dwight doesn't like my Christmas angel.....so I figured he needed a better view of it on his chair that'll fix'em!"

Dwight now has a new assistant.

A Big Full Bus!

Thanks to all the members, Bingo players, & Staff who came by these last 2 weeks to help us fill our Big Blue Box!

The Metro-Transit Elves came by today to collect our contributions and from the sound of things, it's been an exceptionally successful day on the roads. 7 buses were making the rounds, our bus had already unloaded 1 full bus, and was working hard on stocking Bus #2!

Extreme Makeover: Team Room Edition

The teams rooms for the arena are kinda scary... especially for those of us who don't 'do' hockey and don't quite 'get' what it's all about.

But, in preparation for the upcoming Canada Games, the Team Rooms are all getting makeovers. Even for those of us who don't 'do' hockey, this is all very exciting! 

(We're kind of hoping it gets rid of that 'hockey smell'... you know what smell we mean...)

 Derek's been working away to make another shower area in one of the team rooms glimmer & gleam, just like this:

... the challenge is... can those hockey boys keep it lookin' good?

Pizza Day

Friday was Pizza Day 'round these neck of the woods.
And while everyone else somehow made it back to work for the afternoon...

 Mel & Richard had a heck of time getting back up on that work-horse.

A Big, Blue Box

The Dartmouth Sportsplex is proud to be a part of this year's Stuff-A-Bus campaign in support of Feed NS. The registration has been submitted, and now we're just waiting to see our Big, Blue Box get filled up with non-perishable goodies for the holiday season!

With special 'Bring-A-Friend' fitness classes or Free Pirate's Cove incentives, we're hoping to see our staff, members & guests step up and give back to their community during this holiday season.

Come help us fill our Big, Blue Box!

And you thought sharing a pool lane was hard?

During warm-ups at the DCSC Invitational Swim Meet last weekend, they were going with 10-20 swimmers per lane. Somehow it ended up being organized chaos for them.

But I still think I prefer my pool time a little more quiet.

He may be the GM...

... he may be tech-saavy...
... he may be the resident computer-whiz...
... he may be quite adept with a Blackberry...
... he even may quite the chef...

... and yes, he may have a weakness for chocolate...

But until this very moment of time:

... Max did not know there was 'an app for that.'

We feel quite proud to have caught his first iPhone encounter on 'film'...

Meet Max. He can still speak DOS. But a touch screen?

Whole other bewilderment!

The Cookie Lady

Every workplace needs to have a Cookie Lady... and Ashley is ours...

... along with our Cake Lady, Pie Lady, and All-Around Baked Goods Lady.

If you're visiting us on any given day and happen to find Ashley at the front desk, 

it doesn't hurt to ask if she's got some baked goods to share!

Congratulations, Wendy!

Meet Wendy Johnston, a new member & winner of the $400 Lululemon Shopping Spree! Wendy has promised to keep us in the loop with regards to her winnings & the extravagent Lulu purchases she's made!



Happy Birthday, Smelly Melly!

Mel, one of our operators - the fellas who keep the pool water clean, the hot water hot, and the arena ice frozen - celebrated another birthday with us this past week!

Happy Birthday, Mel! 21 again! You're holding strong!

(and no... he doesn't really smell.)

Pancake Monday!

With monsoon season upon us, the staff of the Dartmouth Sportsplex had a great warm start to the rainy, cold week with Pancake Morning Monday! General Manager Max Chauvin played the role of short-order cook, fired up the flattop, and whipped us all up some chocolate, blueberry, or apple cinnamon pancakes! (The apple cinnamon were the biggest hit! We highly recommend them!)

 And as you can see by that apron, Max does nothing neatly.
His motto in the kitchen: 

Food's not done til every dish has been dirtied!

It's LuLu Day!

Today's the day!

It's LuLu Day!

Deanna's holding the name of our lucky winner! It could be you!
... but unless you are WENDY JOHNSTON, it wasn't you.
Congratulations to Wendy! We've got the camera fired up, and hair & make-up standing by! We're ready for your close-up!

Looking for that light at the end of her tunnel...

Have you ever wondered what happens when your Accounting Director

takes a 2-week holiday?

Well, we found out!

Meet Kim, hiding behind her Berlin Wall of Paperwork...

.... no doubt, hoping that, one day, it too will fall.

We think the Christmas Spirit is having a rest....

Once again, another Dartmouth Handcrafters Guild

Christmas Craft Show has come & gone, with relatively few casualties!

...Although, if we check in with Marketing & Promotions Co-Ordinator, Lucille Benoit who spent the weekend here with the event (weekend? What weekend?),

she may tell another story....

Fear not ... no keyboards were harmed by the drool of this catnap.

(and no, as much as she wanted to, there was no nap to be had today)

Trapped in a Booth!

Please come visit us... whether for the Craft Show,

or just to drop by and say, "Hi."

We've had some staff trapped in a ticket booth for a few days.

Deanna & Michelle are desperately seeking human contact.

They may or may not be losing their mind... we cannot confirm nor deny.

A Holiday Tradition

Once again we ask:

Remember this arena?

In the last 36 hours, our Operations & Maintenance crew, along with the Marketing & Events staff, have worked tirelessly to transform the

frozen tundra of an arena floor into a Festive Wonderland, all ready for the

Annual Christmas Craft Show.

The artisans & handcrafters have been setting up all morning, and after some final preparations, they'll be ready to go for High Noon! 

Dartmouth Sportsplex Events & Promotions Co-Ordinator, Lucille Benoit poses with Tribal Designs Organic Jewelery & Andrea's Jewelery Designs just 2 of MANY booths readying for the weekend!

And don't forget our vendors on the upper track:

Drop by this weekend for a visit - $4 admission

Friday: 12:00 - 9:30 pm

Saturday: 9:30-6:00 pm

Sunday: 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Hard @ Work for the Holidays!

Meet Derrick!

Derrick is hard at work with the rest of the Maintenance & Operations crew, getting the arena all ready for the Annual Christmas Craft Show,

presented by the Dartmouth Handcrafters Guild.

If you get a chance, stop by this weekend. Admission is only $4.00, and it's good for the whole weekend!

(And while you wander the booths, remember that just under your feet is the ice surface that was covered Wednesday night!)

A Sneak Peak!

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be putting the finishing touches on our

Brand New Website!

While the url will remain the same (www.DartmouthSportsplex.com) so much of the inside will change, so we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to show you what we're all hard at work on!

The new website will include current track schedules, quick links to program information, swimming placement guides for new program participants, and even a few little special surprises(!) we're not ready to share yet

(but we're certain you'll love it!)



Lesson Learned

So when you work at The Sportsplex, we've learned:
Never leave your camera lying around. 

This is what happens if you do.

Meet Craig, one of our pool deck supervisors.

He's a bit of prankster if given the chance.

He found the chance.

Thanks Craig!

Still trying to find the missing link...

So far, we still don't have an answer to this post!

Take a read through, look carefully.

Send in answer and we'll send your prize!

Apple Day!

It's  Apple Day!

And to celebrate Apple Day (and encourage healthy, local eating),
we have bushels of fresh Valley Apples!

Stop by for a visit, a walk on the track, or a swim in the pool,

and grab a fresh apple on your way out!

... that is, if Janelle & Treena save any for you!

A Little Lulu

It's FINALLY here!

Michelle and Deanna (excitedly) display our newest promotion:

Buy a 1-year membership, and receive a Lululemon Gift Card

AND the opportunity to WIN a $400 LULULEMON SHOPPING SPREE!

We don't know who's more excited: Michelle... or everyone else!

Happy Birthday Tara!

So this past week our Bingo Manager, Tara, celebrated another birthday! Her staff decided to surprise her with some lifesize replicas of themselves, so Tara could always keep them near & dear!

 

Cute group, aren't they? Come visit them! 

If they get to know you, you too could end up with 'Friends Forever' to keep on your porch!

Even Tara's ready to kick back and relax with them!