Chatham-Kent wants more outdoor ice rinks, as council explores volunteer-run pads

Chatham-Kent does not have a permanent, covered structure for outdoor skating like the City of Windsor does, but the municipality hopes volunteers will be interested in stepping up to create at least six rinks in public parks.

A report is going before council Monday night, recommendingthe costs to implement the rinksbe referred to the 2024 budget process.

Ian Clark,manager of parks and recreation for the municipality, saysvolunteer groups would be trained to make sure they're making and maintaining the ice surface safely.

"Dedicating that type of municipal resources would likely dramatically limit us to maybe one location, and so we thought this model would permit the development of multiple parks across Chatham-Kent, where there might be demand," he said.

Chatham-Kent already has 10 arenas for indoor skating, but Clark says the public has been moving toward more outdoor activities since the pandemic hit.

But in southwestern Ontario, weather can be a challenge with outdoor rinks says Clark.

"Last year, we actually had a great outdoor skating season, but then there are many winters where we have that dreaded freeze-and-thaw cycle that would demand far more labour-intensive effort to ensure skating rink surface remains skateable," he said.

Clark says the volunteer-model would help with that unpredictability, because they could decide not to maintain the rinks if the weather doesn't co-operate.

Clark says he hopes some of these rinks could be available next winter.

Windsor-Essex's only outdoor rink

Many Windsorites enjoyed taking to the ice at Windsor's Charles Park Square, however this summer, the city announced it would shutter the pad for good.

The city says the ice-making machinery is no longer functional, and are planning a new outdoor skating spaceas part a new City Hall Square and Civic Esplanade project expected to open next December.

That leavestheLanspeary Lions outdoor rinkas the only ice-pad to hit this winter season in the city. Weather permitting, free skates are availableMonday to Friday from 4p.m. to 5p.m. and Sundays from 1p.m. to 3p.m.