The final push to complete Sundre's new outdoor rink was well underway earlier this week when a town crew was busy flooding the surface of the ice.
The final push to complete Sundre's new outdoor rink was well underway earlier this week when a town crew was busy flooding the surface of the ice.
With temperatures that were forecast to remain below freezing over the coming week, Ian James, community services manager, told the Round Up during a brief chat at the site, located immediately adjacent to the Sundre Skatepark, that the rink was expected to be ready just in time for Christmas.
After a protective plastic liner was laid down, several loads of water from a tanker truck were applied on Tuesday, Dec. 19 during the final phase of deployment, which over the past few weeks involved the installation of light posts as well as 18-inch-high, portable sideboards.
James told the Round Up he was really impressed by the community's involvement, which included significant contributions from several companies that helped to make the project a reality.
In the past, Sundre previously had an outdoor rink in other locations, but the former council had decided to remove the item from the municipality's budget in 2015 due to a variety of concerns, including inadequate lighting at the last former site behind the arena.
Although still early on, there have also been preliminary discussions regarding the future potential for the new outdoor rink, including investigating options such as laying a permanent concrete pad that could be used for sports like tennis during the summer months, James said.
The community services manager encourages residents who are interested to keep an eye out on the Town of Sundre's website — www.sundre.com — for updates on the outdoor rink, as well as a schedule that will break down times for family skates as well as opportunities to play shinny.
