The Goalie Moose
Nothing gets past these antlers · Keeper of the outdoor rink
Every winter Toronto floods its parks to make outdoor rinks for skating and hockey. The moose is the tallest animal in North America.
The legend
Every winter Toronto floods parks and squares to make outdoor ice rinks, and children learn to skate and play hockey on them. The moose is the tallest animal in North America: a big one stands over two metres at the shoulder and weighs up to 700 kilograms.
“I'd bring my own puck and say sorry first.”
Where it comes from
The keeper is inspired by two Canadian things: the moose and the outdoor rink.
The word "moose" came into English in the 17th century from an Algonquian language. One scholar traced it to a word meaning "he trims or cuts smooth", after the way the animal strips twigs and bark. A grown bull's antlers usually span 1.2 to 1.5 metres. They are shed after the autumn mating season and grow back each spring, taking three to five months. Moose are strong swimmers and can dive more than 5.5 metres to reach plants on a lake bottom, closing their nostrils under the water. Up to half of what they eat can be water plants, and a large one can eat 32 kilograms of food a day.
Toronto's city rinks use artificial ice. In 2014 there were 51 of them, and by 2020 the city ran 54 outdoor rinks.
Where to see it
The best-known rink is the rectangle under the arches at Nathan Phillips Square, outside City Hall at 100 Queen Street West. In 2000 the city also filled its streets with 326 life-size painted moose statues, an idea borrowed from Chicago's Cows on Parade. Most are now in storage or lost, but a few still stand, including one at Sunnybrook Hospital and one at the corner of Bayview Avenue and Moore Avenue.
In the game
The moose crouches in its pads, taps its stick twice and whispers sorry in advance. The moose's antlers wobble, and it says sorry, though the plane hit it. The moose pulls off a glove, holds out a fist for a glove-tap, and gives a big wave.
