A family in Cornwall Ontario who built a hockey rink on their front lawn has been ordered to take it down by government officials. Neighbourhood kids would flock to the homemade rink and were welcome to join in the fun all winter long. Apparently, the frame constructed out of wooden boards broke a 'road allowance bylaw'. A neighbour complained and Cornwall Mayor Leslie O'Shaughnessy ordered the rink to be shut down. He states that the boards infringed on land that could contain gas, phone and high-voltage electrical lines. "This is a bylaw that is in effect in every municipality. It is there for public safety and it needs to be enforced." After receiving a final notice from the government on Monday, homeowner Brian Vincent and a small crew of helpers had no choice but to dismantle the skating rink. "I'm kind of disappointed that it came to this situation and where we're at right now with taking the boards down. We built this rink for our kids and for people in the community that come here and play with us. It's been here for a second year. We got the final notice today to take it down." The family will attempt to leave the rink up without the boards but due to the slope of their front yard, it might just wash away if warmer weather is on the horizon. Do you think the city of Cornwall was right to demand the dismantling of this family's ice rink? In my opinion, in a day and age where childhood obesity is on the rise, it's a shame that it has come to this. Instead of encouraging our children to be active, we are making it increasingly difficult for them to get out there and enjoy the beauty of our Canadian winters. image courtesy of kingle89/flickr