A few little girls with big dreams asked the city last week to help them fulfill their goals. The young ice skaters, along with a few of their parents, told City Council why they would like to have the ice season extended at the Stumptown Ice Den.

Muriel Mercer, 10, has been skating since the age of 2 and wants to keep working on her skills during the summer.

“The last summers we went out of state to skate because the rink is closed,” she said. “I skate six days per week.”

“Please help us have skating in the summer and spring so we can compete and reach our goals and represent Whitefish well.”

Glacier Skate Academy requested an extension of the spring season and early opening in the fall for the Ice Den. They also asked the city to consider year-round ice.

For more than half an hour on Feb. 17 supporters asked City Council to grant a longer season.

Grace Elden also is on the ice six days per week. She wants to compete in regional competitions and hopes to someday make it to the Olympics.

Grace’s mother, Cari Elden, told the council that Grace has come up through the Glacier Skate program. She said she and her husband have talked about the possibility of moving the family so Grace can pursue her dreams at a year-round rink.

“She has ambitious goals,” Elden said. “We talked about how we can help her achieve her goals. This is a unique moment in time with Glacier Skate Academy and we’d like to see the council make this vision happen.”

Elizabeth Askew, a mother of a figure skater, said skating has given her daughter something more.

“I have seen my daughter become more confident and self-motivated,” she said. “She has learned to balance priorities in a sport that requires constant practice.”

Carol Anderson, who founded the Whitefish Figure Skating Club, has watched many a students grow while learning to skate.

“The Ice Den is an exciting place to be,” she said. “We have a gold mine here and let’s use it.”

Bobbi-Joe Martin, a skate mom from Lethbridge, Alberta, who also owns property in Whitefish, said families are being drawn south and the rink was the reason her family chose to buy here.

“All of Alberta has caught on to this amazing facility,” she said. “The children can train when they come here in the summers.”

Representatives from hockey groups also were supportive of an expanded season.

Colby Shaw, president of the Glacier Hockey Association, said there are several youth players looking to gain skills and get a competitive edge.

Glacier Hockey plays in the East Kootenay League in British Columbia, which is currently creating spring leagues to run March to May. A longer spring ice season would give Glacier Hockey the opportunity to participate and host tournaments in Whitefish, he said.

“We’d like to provide more opportunities for the kids,” he said.

Josh Steel, general manager of the Whitefish Wolverines junior hockey club, agreed that summer ice would benefit players.

“Expansion of the ice use would be spectacular,” he said.