Orillia residents eagerly awaiting outdoor skating rinks might not need to wait much longer.
According to Stan Cleaveley, the city's supervisor of parks, preparations for creating the rinks will soon be underway, as long as Mother Nature continues to cooperate.
“In order to form a base that staff can flood, they require a significant amount of snow that contains more moisture in order to pack them, followed by consistently cold weather of -10°C or below for at least a week,” Cleaveley explained.
City crews are closely monitoring weather conditions and are prepared to begin work as soon as this week.
"Staff are constantly monitoring the weather conditions and if and when it is feasible, crews will attempt to open the rinks once we have consistent snow and weather to do so,” Cleaveley said.
The process of making each rink begins with packing snow to create a base that can hold water, which is then frozen to form ice. Once the ice is in place, crews use equipment to plow and broom the surface before adding layers of water as needed to maintain a "smooth and skate-able" rink.
Cleaveley highlighted how warmer winters and inconsistent cold temperatures in recent years have created challenges for outdoor rink construction.
“When the weather cooperates, the city constructs and maintains seven outdoor ice rinks throughout Orillia,” he said.
This year, rinks are planned for Hillcrest, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Kitchener Park, Homewood, Clayt French, and Murray Street, pending favourable weather conditions.
However, there will be no outdoor rink on Lake Couchiching this winter due to the Port of Orillia dredging project.
Residents are encouraged to stay updated on the status of the rinks by visiting orillia.ca/outdoorrinks.
“When available, outdoor ice rinks offer residents a fun way to stay active and healthy during the winter months,” Cleaveley said.
He also reminded skaters that hockey games are not allowed on rinks occupied by pleasure skaters, and helmets should be worn at all times for safety.
