VIDEO: 95-year-old Saskatchewan rink with drawbridge goes viral

Canada is full of small communities with plenty of character and the same can be said about the rinks that you find in them.

Many memories have been made at these rinks over the years and you can be assured that the 95-year-old barn in Lang, Sask., a community of around 200 people, has produced its fair share.

The nearly-century-old rink was thrust into the national, and even international, spotlight this week thanks to a short video of its iconic drawbridge.

Yes, that’s correct, the rink has a drawbridge that players young and old use to get on and off the ice because the locker room is on the upper level of the building.

This has to be the craziest way to get on the ice we’ve ever seen.

🎥: @mikefoleyfarms1

pic.twitter.com/FdQ2N5JopZ

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 31, 2023

Lang's viral moment started with a simple picture of the drawbridge tweeted by Braden Konschuh, which was followed up by a video posted by Mike Foley that shows two men's league players using the unique feature.

Foley’s video started to gain traction on social media and was eventually reposted by accounts like TSN, World Hockey Report and plenty others.

“This has to be the craziest way to get on the ice we’ve ever seen,” read the TSN caption.

Saskatchewan’s NDP leader Carla Beck is from Lang, and said that she couldn’t think of a barn more worthy of the buzz than her hometown rink.

“I've loved reading the reactions from folks around the world to our hometown rink — but for me, the Lang rink will always represent community,” she wrote on Twitter. “This ol' barn will forever hold a dear place in my heart.”

And the drawbridge wasn’t the only feature of the rink that made it endearing to hockey fans across Canada and beyond.

People were quick to declare their affection for the historic-looking nets and the walking Zamboni that, according to a CTV news article, is around 70 years old.

“Built in 1928, the Lang rink operates with hard work and dedication from our community volunteers who scrape the ice surface formation by hand, shovel the snow out the window, and flood with the oldest walking Zamboni you have ever seen,” explains the Lang Rink Board.

“Our community spirit is endless and we are proud to have created the space for our youth to fall in love with the game of hockey while the parents connect over a cup of coffee or play a cold game of shinny.”

That description comes from a GoFundMe set up this week in the wake of the rink going viral this week in an effort to raise funds to keep the rink alive and well.

“Our goal is to continue to foster our proud legacy and keep the charm of the oldest rink in Saskatchewan alive with fundraising for basic maintenance, kitchen and bathroom repairs, and some grease for our ladder pulley,” the Lang Rink Board says.

The fundraiser has already raised around $14,500 (at the time of writing) towards its $25,000 goal, thanks to over 200 donors. If you would like to make a contribution, click this link.