Camps and programs
Four days in August: what the summer camp actually looked like
Two arenas, four days, and five hundred and seventy-six pieces of equipment that went home with a child and did not come back.
Open Ice Initiative
Open Ice Initiative Inc. is an incorporated not-for-profit organization in Ontario. We give children who have never played hockey free ice time, professional coaching, and a full set of equipment they keep for good, removing the financial barriers that keep kids off the ice.
Christmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every familyChristmas Camp 2026 • Five days of free hockey • Four arenas across Toronto, planned • Free for every family
The cost
$750
This is what one full set of equipment costs, all in, for one Toronto child. Before anyone touches the ice.
- Skatesincluded
- Helmet and cageincluded
- Shoulder and elbow padsincluded
- Glovesincluded
- Shin pads and pantsincluded
- Stickincluded
- Jersey, bag, socks and base layerincluded
- A full set, all in, one child$750
For many families, that is where it ends
Not because the child did not want it.
Because nobody could pay for it.
We remove it
Free ice, free coaching, free lunch, and a full set of equipment that is theirs to keep. Families pay nothing.
The program
Open Ice Camp
Our camps have run at Leaside Arena in midtown and Ted Reeve Community Arena in the east end. Christmas Camp 2026 is planned at four arenas across Toronto. Roughly three hours of ice per day plus dryland training, professional coaching, free lunch, and equipment campers keep for good.
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Christmas Camp 2026
Five days of free hockey. Four arenas across Toronto, planned. Two ice sessions a day plus dryland, free lunch, and a full set of equipment to keep. Applications are open now.
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How our camps work
The core curriculum. Four skill tiers from a learn to skate feeder group through to small area games, set after a day one assessment.
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Keep Your Gear
Every camper leaves with a full set of equipment that is theirs permanently. $750 of gear per child.
Everyone
grows
grows
Everyone who steps on the ice gains something
Open Ice changes two groups of young people at once: the campers, and the students who make the camps happen.
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The campers
Every child who joins Open Ice has never played hockey before. In one camp they learn to skate, stop, handle a puck and pass, play their first real game with families invited to watch, and make friends on the same team. They go home with confidence, a sense of belonging, and a full set of gear to keep playing.
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The students who run it
The students who give their time grow too. Volunteers lead their own group of campers through the day. Members of the Headquarters Team manage budgets, book ice, build partnerships, organize logistics, speak in public and lead teams of their peers. They learn to run something real, and they become stronger leaders because of it.
Our impact
The barrier is cost, not interest
It costs us $1,060 to put one Toronto child through a camp, including $750 of equipment they keep. We received 100+ applications for a limited number of spots. Funding is the constraint, not demand.
Our partners and sponsors
Made possible by
Thank you to our Platinum Partners, MCW Consultants, Platform Insurance, Rockland Resources, TorontoToday and HockeyStickMan; to our Pilot Sponsors, Pizza Pizza and the PHPA; and to our program partners, Upper Canada College, Stronger Together Hockey, the Leaside Hockey Association and the Toronto Leaside Wildcats; and to the twenty-two Community Referral Partners who share our application with the families they serve. Every hour of ice, every set of equipment and every lunch at an Open Ice camp is theirs as much as ours.
Our partners and sponsors
Community Referral Partnerswho share our application with the families they serve
Newsroom
Open Ice in the News
National and local coverage of the program, plus updates from the rink as each camp cycle comes together.
Impact and updates
Who Gets to Play: twenty-seven researchers have agreed to come on the podcast
The first two conversations are recorded. Between them, the guests study almost every reason a child ends up on the ice or off it.
Partners and community
Open Ice is opening two more rinks for the Christmas camp
North Toronto Memorial Arena and Upper Canada College’s Wilder Arena join Leaside and Ted Reeve, taking the program to four locations across the city.
Partners and community
Stronger Together Hockey and Open Ice Initiative explore partnership to build school-to-rink pathways for youth
Two organizations, one in the classroom and one at the rink, exploring a pathway that carries a student from a school assembly to a pair of skates.
Camps and programs
Summer Camp 2026 ran 4 to 7 August
Four days of ice and dryland, free lunch, and a full set of equipment for every camper.
Impact and updates
Nine months in: capacity, equipment and a waiting list
Where the program stands after its first three cycles, and what the numbers mean.
Partners and community
Councillor Brad Bradford visited our campers on the first morning of March Break Camp
The councillor for Beaches-East York came to Ted Reeve on day one, spoke to the campers at the rink, and sat down with them for an unscripted question and answer session.
Camps and programs
The Open Ice Cup: six hours after meeting, they were teammates
Four teams, coloured pinnies, a five minute running clock and no offsides. The hockey was raw. The point was not the hockey.
Coverage
As seen in
Four outlets have reported on Open Ice Initiative as a news story. Their reporting is their own; where an outlet also supports the program, that support is separate from its reporting.
- CTV NewsMarch break youth hockey camp gives underprivileged kids a chance to playMar 17, 2026
- CP24March Break youth hockey camp gives underprivileged kids a chance to playMar 17, 2026
- Beach Metro NewsOpen Ice's March break hockey camp at Ted Reeve brings young players togetherMar 17, 2026
- CP24Toronto teen founds financially accessible hockey camp for kidsFeb 14, 2026
- TorontoTodayFree hockey camp in Toronto builds skills and access at Ted Reeve Arena2026
- TorontoTodayThis March break hockey camp gives at-risk kids a place to play, barrier free2026
These outlets reported on Open Ice Initiative as a news story. Their reporting is their own; where an outlet also supports the program, that support is separate from its reporting. Each line links to the article.
What families
say
say
Five out of five on Google
Reviews from parents and guardians whose children came to a camp.
“My son attended the Open Ice Initiative several days and loved the experience. He was excited to go each day, enjoyed the drills, and spoke often about the coaches. The program helped him become much more confident on the ice, and he even asked to practice more outside of camp. All equipment was provided and was excellent quality, which would have cost our family around $1,000 on our own.”
“My child attended for multiple days and had a very positive experience. He was excited to attend each day and felt welcomed and supported by the staff. The program helped him learn how to skate and build confidence on the ice. As a parent, this experience would have cost our family well over $1,500 to $2,000 to provide on our own.”
“Our eldest daughter attended, along with her siblings, and the experience was incredible. All of her hockey gear was fully provided, so we didn't have to worry about anything. Her skating, confidence, and overall comfort on the ice grew so much.”
“An outstanding program that removes barriers and gives kids a real opportunity to play hockey. From providing equipment to creating a welcoming environment, the impact is amazing.”
The fabric of
who we are
who we are
Photographs say it better
One hundred and four frames from inside our camps. The first time on the ice, the gear, the coaching, the friends, the families, and the whole group at the end of the week.
Partners and
sponsors
sponsors
Put your brand on the ice
Sponsorship levels are priced in children's places. Every level puts children on the ice and puts your organization in front of families, media audiences and a program with national coverage.
Open Ice Initiative Inc. is an incorporated not-for-profit organization in Ontario, governed by a volunteer board of directors and accountable for every dollar it receives.
Because corporate support delivers logo placement, named program rights and media association, it can typically be recorded as a marketing or advertising expense. Please confirm the treatment with your finance team. This is not tax advice.
Get involved
Three ways to help
Volunteer at a camp, sponsor a camper, or apply to bring your child. Each one starts on this site and takes a few minutes.