Unruly and sometimes abusive skaters are breaking anti-virus rules at Toronto rinks, forcing the city to use police officers to keep order

Thestar.com
Dec. 22, 2020
David Rider

Unruly and abusive skaters have forced the City of Toronto to enlist police officers to help enforce virus-prevention rules and maintain order at city outdoor rinks.

One rink was closed early after a city employee was shoved. Some skaters have refused to leave the ice after their allotted time or jumped fences to play shinny, currently prohibited because players could come in close contact with one another.

Other rules imposed when most outdoor rinks opened Nov. 28 include people being “strongly encouraged” to book appointments online for time-limited skate periods, and a limit of 25 skaters per rink at any given time.

“There have been reported incidents of staff receiving verbal abuse about the limited capacity on rinks and other skating restrictions as well as reports of people playing shinny hockey after supervised hours,” city staff said in an email.

Incidents were reported to Toronto police and the city’s corporate security division, “who have assisted in removing the individual(s) and issued trespass orders as required,” staff said, adding the city hired paid-duty officers this past weekend to help with “roving patrols” to stop overnight shinny and other rule breaches.

At Wallace Emerson rink near Dupont Street and Dufferin Street, “a group of skaters refused to leave the ice and one of them shoved a rink staff person,” resulting in police attending and the city closing the rink early.

At Kew Gardens rink in the Beach, “shinny players hopped the boards to play and refused to leave the ice. Toronto Police and the city’s corporate security were called and instructed them to leave,” city staff said.

The city says the chief concern is “the safety of both staff and public,” and skaters are expected to behave respectfully toward each other and staff, many of whom are youths, and follow rules including wearing masks while in lineups.

Mayor John Tory expressed frustration Monday with rink-rule breakers, saying the city had the option of leaving outdoor rinks closed but wanted to give Torontonians a safe way to get exercise during the pandemic.

While the one staff person was shoved, Tory said, “in other cases people thumbed their nose or flipped the bird” at staff trying to enforce rules imposed to limit COVID-19 spread.

“C’mon people, let’s act in the Christmas spirit and not behave that way,” Tory told CP24.

“People should follow those rules, they’re set for a reason, because the alternative I think is not going to be to their liking.”

Skaters have had some complaints of their own, mainly about difficulty using the city’s online registration system. Tory acknowledged the complaints last week and said city staff are looking at how to streamline the process.

People are making bookings, however. Users of the system Monday reported few if any rink spots available, leaving the option of dropping in, and hoping and waiting for some ice time.