The 2017-18 competitive & recreational goalball season gets underway Saturday, September 16th at the George Dixon Centre in Halifax!

Rec goalball, for teens & adults of all levels, will be Saturdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Junior goalball will be Saturdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Competitive men’s goalball will be Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m.

Everyone is welcome, including new volunteers! Drop in and give goalball a go. We’ll provide the gear, experienced coaches & officials, and fun & inclusive environment! See you out on the court!

Questions? Email us at info@blindsportsnovascotia.ca or message us on Facebook.

We’re pretty psyched about a few upcoming running events!! the Navy 10K in Halifax, Maritime Race Weekend in beautiful Eastern Passage, and one of our members is even training for her first half-marathon in Ottawa.

If you have vision loss and are interested in running, we’d love to hear from you, and so would our amazing Guide Bunny friends!

Check out the Guide Bunny website to learn more about how they help make running & racing accessible for those of us with vision loss.

Hi Parents/Athletes etc.,

Hope your summer is going well. We are now open to accepting registration for the first year of the Nova Scotia Blind Hockey. Our ice will be at the Shearwater Rink, Dartmouth and it will be Sunday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.

We have attached the 2017-18 season Registration Forms. Our season will start on September 10th this year and will go to March 25, 2018 for a total of 27 on ice sessions.

Registration will have two parts this year, one of insurance through Hockey Nova Scotia (see attached form) and the second part the registration of the athletes for Nova Scotia Blind Hockey through the attached form. We are hoping for free insurance from HNS for our start-up year and it will be confirmed later. The other option it would cost $25.00 per for insurance.

The second portion of registration involves filling out the attached  form. Our Nova Scotia Blind Hockey registration fee will be $200.00 for this season.

Steve Coates as administrator will accept these registration forms and payment in the form of a cheque (Payable to Nova Scotia Blind Hockey ).

You may mail the completed forms with a cheque to the below address:  Nova Scotia Blind  Hockey C/O Steve Coates 43 Dorothea Drive Dartmouth, NS, B2W 5X4

Alternatively we can meet some place if that is the preference.

Thanks for your interest and we all look forward to the start of the program.

Any questions or concerns can be directed to either Ian Readey or Steve Coates.

Ian Readey President – Nova Scotia Blind Hockey 902-414-9205

Steve Coates Administrator – Nova Scotia Blind Hockey 902-471-9178

Forms: Nova Scotia Blind Hockey – Athlete Registration form ; Player Registration Certificate (2)

Blind Sports Nova Scotia’s recreational Tandem Bike Club is hosting a try-it day and we’d love you to join us!

Do you or does someone you know have vision loss and an interest in tandem biking? Are you a cycling enthusiast and want to make biking accessible for people with vision loss in your community while having a lot of fun?

Please RSVP via email at tandembikes@blindsportsnovascotia.ca or via the Facebook event.

When: Saturday, July 15th, 2017 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Where: St Andrews Centre parking lot, 3380 Barnstead Lane Halifax. Busses 17, 80, and 81 stop close by. Let us know if you require more directions or a guide from the bus stop.

What are we doing:

• This event is for both stokers (individuals with vision loss) and volunteer pilots (person who rides up front).
• We’ll talk about the how our recreational Tandem Bike Club works for both stokers and volunteers.
• You’ll get to know the bikes, safety techniques and best practices, as well as sighted guide instruction for volunteers.
• Take a tandem bike for a short spin. Volunteer pilots can also try riding in back while blindfolded.
• We have a few helmets, but please bring yours if you have one.

Please remember to RSVP via email at tandembikes@blindsportsnovascotia.ca or via the Facebook event.

We look forward to hearing from you and getting you hooked on tandem biking!

Did we mention that we’re excited about the prospect of blind hockey coming to Halifax? Check out this recent interview with Accessible Media (AMI) Audio’s Live From Studio 5 about just that, including Blind Sports NS Chair, Peter Parsons.

More great stuff from AMI Audio is also available online

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.” John F. Kennedy

We’ve got 3 tandem bikes available for short & long-term loans. If you or someone you know has vision loss and wants to borrow one of our bikes or/and join us for friendly group ride, please message us or email us at tandembikes@blindsportsnovascotia.ca. We’ll show you the ropes, offer a roster of capable volunteer pilots, and have helmets to get you started! Can’t wait to hear from you!

We’d like to congratulate and thank the following people, who contributed their time, effort, and heart to the sport of goalball and the community throughout 2017 (and then some). Blind Sports Nova Scotia has proudly nominated the following individuals for Support4Sport Awards, hosted by Sport Nova Scotia last evening.
Tamar Ellis, Official of the year
Peter Parsons, Coach of the year
Stephanie Berry, Female Team Athlete of the year
Mason Smith, Male Team Athlete of the year
Linda MacRae Triff, Volunteer of the year
NS Men’s Goalball team, team of the year

There will be a meeting to discuss starting up Blind Hockey in Halifax on Tuesday, May 30th at 7:00 PM at the APSEA Residence Building – 5944 South Street, Halifax. For more information, please contact Blind Sports NS Chair, Peter Parsons, at info@blindsportsnovascotia.ca.

Learn more about blind hockey at: www.blindicehockey.com

The Dartmouth Dragon Boat Association is offering dragon boat sessions for blind and partially sighted individuals who would like the opportunity to get out on the water for fun and fitness. A dragon boat is a 40 foot long boat, with 20 benches. Two paddlers sit on each bench, one on the left, and one on the right. It is a flat bottomed very stable boat. There is a coach/steersperson standing in the back.

For more information, or to let us know you are coming, please email info@dragonboateast.ca or leave a voicemail at (902)469-4425.

When
Saturday June 3 1PM
Saturday June 17 1PM
Saturday June 24 1PM
Sunday July 9 1PM
Saturday July 29 1PM
Saturday Aug 5 1PM
Saturday Aug 12 1PM
Saturday Aug 26 1PM
Sunday Sept 17 1PM

Where
Graham’s Grove Park, Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth
(There are no buses that come directly to the site. Bus 62 stops at the bottom of Glenwood Avenue, and there is then a 400 foot walk.)

Download the PDF: BPS Dragon Boating Info 2017

An enormous Thank You to all those business owners and individuals who donated to make this years Blind Sports NS Charity Auction our most successful yet!

We raised $5,600. Every dollar will support blind and visually impaired athletes, of all ages & skill levels. We are so grateful and excited to continue growing competitive & recreational sports for all in our communities.