INNISFAIL – Centennial Park and the old skatepark site are getting outdoor skating rinks.
The issue of outdoor rinks was brought up at town council’s Agenda & Priorities meeting on Dec. 21 by Coun. Glen Carritt who said he had been hearing concerns about ice quality at the town’s two outdoor rinks. He also suggested to council the town should take a look at the old skatepark site as a possible new outdoor rink venue.
However, Steven Kennedy, the town's director of operational services, was already on top of it. In fact, Kennedy told council his staff had looked at Centennial Park and the old skatepark site as two promising new sites for outdoor public skating during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.
Two days later on Dec. 23, following council’s endorsement of his initiative, both sites were being prepared by town parks crews with a possible opening date for public skating before New Year’s Day, weather permitting.
“We will have both going as soon as possible,” said Kennedy adding crews were being “gentler” with the Centennial Park site as it‘s a grass surface as opposed to asphalt at the old skateboard park.
"We have a great spot for it. It is going to be fantastic," he said.
Kennedy said the site is near perfect for a skating rink, as it was once levelled off for bocce ball and lawn bowling.
“It’s a nice great flat area with a couple of benches already there, a great spot,” he said. “We are looking forward to getting that going as quickly as we can.”
He said the old skatepark site is easier to prepare, adding snow had already been plowed to the sides. He said on Dec. 23 the site would be flooded that day. Both sites are being created without boards on the sides.
Kennedy’s initiative pleased Carritt, who said it was important to add the two rink surfaces this year amidst the many challenging issues caused by the pandemic.
“I think this is an important year to be really focusing on that, and the more we got, the less we have congregating in one,” said Carritt.
Innisfail currently has other two outdoor rink sites. They are by the Arena and in the 54 Avenue and 37th Street area. There used to be another outdoor rink at Cannon Park in the 37 Street and 49 Avenue area but it was removed last year.
The idea to create more recreational amenities for the town was heavily discussed during engagements with council and the community for the development of the town’s recently completed and long-awaited Innisfail Economic Development Plan, a guiding planning document for the future created by consultant 13 Ways.
“We talked quite a bit about activities and recreational type activities that could come out of this, and I was excited to hear that director Kennedy say they were already looking at putting an outdoor rink at Centennial Park,” said Barclay, noting the park in winter is also heavily used by tobogganers, snowshoers, walkers, cross-country skiers and families gathering around the fire pit having a wiener roast. “We are a winter community. Let’s face it, we are in winter about seven months of the year.
“That park is absolutely gorgeous, a jewel of Innisfail,” added Barclay. “I can’t imagine a more beautiful spot for skating.”
As for the cost of the two new outdoor facilities, Kennedy, responding to a question from Coun. Donnie Hill on Dec. 21, said that had not yet been determined but noted the idea for the two sites was not to have a boarded facility and to simply plow away the snow for the surface and create a snow berm around the ice, with follow-up flooding inside.
He said workers told him it would be a “fairly easy process” as the town had the manpower to do it.
“We could get started on something like that as a trial to see how we can get it working,” said Kennedy.
