NewmarketToday is marking this giving season by celebrating Newmarket's Community Angels, the people whose kindness, compassion and community spirit help make our town one of the best to live in the country.
Newmarket software consultant Chris Howie is a master at making time for the things that are important to his community.
The Town of Newmarket’s 2019 Herb Cain award-winner for sport has devoted thousands of hours over the past five years creating and maintaining the Lions Park community outdoor hockey rink, that encourages local skaters of all ages to hit the ice and have fun playing the country’s favourite sport … and pick up a shovel to clean the pad before heading home.
Perhaps a highlight for lucky skaters at the rink was on Christmas Day in 2018, when Edmonton Oilers captain and Newmarket native Connor McDavid stopped by with his family for a skate.
Howie, who also started and runs a baseball academy at the Newmarket Soccer Club facility on Saturdays, doesn’t hesitate to help a neighbour in need, and collects hundreds of pounds of food for the Newmarket Food Pantry and Belinda’s Place.
In June 2019, while on a walk in his downtown neighbourhood, Howie noticed that what’s regarded as Newmarket’s oldest tree left standing, a 300-year-old majestic white oak known as the Liberty Tree, was suffocating.
About 35 per cent of its root system has been paved over to make room for a parking lot at a seven-unit housing complex located directly behind it at 443 Timothy St.
Howie notified Newmarket council about the health of the Liberty Tree during a June deputation he made at the municipal offices to push the town to close a loophole in its tree policy that makes it possible for developers to clear-cut land in advance of submitting a building application, with no repercussions.
He offered to do the pruning and other work needed to restore the tree’s health, himself.
When he hears of a need in the community, this good neighbour doesn't hesitate to take action. After reading on social media about a Newmarket family that was distressed to find the large Christmas inflatable at the front of their home had been maliciously slashed, Howie came to the rescue with the patch kit he uses for the ice rink's liner.
In her nomination letter to the town’s committee for the Herb Cain award, and on the subject of the Lions Park outdoor rink in particular, Jen Chase said: “Chris's dream is to provide a safe, free place for youth in the Newmarket area to enjoy the game of hockey, especially for children whose parents may not be able to afford to join organized hockey leagues.”
“The Lions Park rink was the only way I was able to fulfill my 8-year-old son's dream of playing hockey this winter. My son beamed with joy as soon as I said, ‘Let's go to the rink’!” she said. “I had to drag him off the ice (literally!) when it was time to go home. We enjoyed the rink with friends and made some new friends as my son learned hockey this winter. I am forever grateful for Chris' work in creating and maintaining the rink and I can think of no other person whose volunteer contributions have had such a wide and deep impact on our community this year.”
Howie is now often joined by community volunteers on the late-night runs out in the cold, flooding the rink and ensuring the ice is perfect for local children and youth.
“The big reason I did this was to get kids out and away from technology and from the mall,” Howie told NewmarketToday in a previous interview. “Some kids are there for hours practising and playing with the older kids, and that’s how they get better. That’s my reward, seeing kids learning to play and to skate. Last year, we had a 10-year-old who never skated before. About an hour in, he had a stick in his hand and was taking shots.”
