by Stephen Dafoe
Morinville Sports Ltd. is a new home-based business in Morinville that is presently looking for a retail location. The company, operated by Scott and Ashley Richardson and family offers skate sharpening, a Fresh Gear machine and just about anything a hockey player needs on and off the ice.
“There were quite a few parents and friends that were looking for skate sharpening and sports equipment, and there was just nothing to offer,” said own Scott Richardson.
That lack of service prompted Richardson to suggest to his wife Ashley that perhaps they do something to fill the void. Though reluctant at first, an increase in the number of people asking about skate sharpening and talking about the need in the community, prompted Ashley Richardson to come on board.
Richardson said they joined forces with his parents and bought a skate sharpening machine at the end of 2014. The couple and their Blademaster Legend machine have been busy keeping blades sharpened since getting their business license a few weeks ago.
In addition to skate sharpening, the couple’s Fresh Gear ozone machine can clean everything from sporting equipment to bedding. “The ozone kills 99.9 per cent of the bacteria, which kills staph infection and all that kind of stuff,” Richardson said.
The Richardsons are presently operating out of their home in The Lakes but are hoping to be in a storefront location soon. In the interim, they are working out of their hall closet and garage, offering hockey sticks, helmets, tape, skate laces, and other items.
They are open Mondays and Thursday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon until 5 p.m. They are also available by appointment by calling 780-572-3456.
Hopefully our town leaders keep businesses like this in mind when planning out the new recreation facility and make spaces for retail stores such as this one. If we rent out these spaces it would help keep tax raises to a minimum.