Oshawa residents calling for outdoor skating rink

Thestar.com
Feb. 3, 2021
Courtney Bachar

The City of Oshawa is considering an outdoor skating rink after a number of residents wrote to council to consider their request.

The city received three letters in December 2020 from residents stating their disappointment that Oshawa doesn’t have an outdoor skating rink in the winter.

Oshawa resident Mark Little writes in his letter he recalls skating at Humewood park as a kid after school back in the 70s on a rink that was put up by the city every year.

While he says weather and costs are likely factors for why it no longer exists, there are other cities in the GTA that are providing outdoor rinks.

“Oshawa seems to be a city of can’t do things rather than a city that looks to do things,” writes Little, noting outdoor rinks are a staple that shouldn’t have gone away in the first place.

Local resident Lisa Power writes other cities have a number of different kinds of outdoor skating rinks and trails, and Oshawa should as well.

“I think it is extremely important that our children have outdoor activities in the winter months, especially with another winter of Covid restrictions ahead of us,” writes resident Lisa Power. “We have a huge number of people in our city that would be happy to volunteer to help bring ice skating rinks back to our city,” she continues, adding there are a number of areas and parks that would be well suited for this purpose.

Resident Siraj Patel says he is disappointed that Oshawa doesn’t have outdoor ice rinks.

As a life-long resident, he says he is often ‘forced to take his young children to Toronto to enjoy a nice evening skate outdoors or even worse, forced to risk unregulated conditions on an outdoor pond to enjoy this great winter activity.”

Patel suggests three possible locations that would work for an outdoor venue such as this would be Civic Fields, Memorial Park, or outside Oshawa City Hall off of Centre Street.

Community Services Committee members had a unanimous consensus that an outdoor ice rink is needed and would be good for the city.

According to city staff, there are two options for outdoor ice rinks, the first being a city program where neighbourhood residents can build a rink and have it flooded with the assistance from the city.

This program is already in place, however inconsistent weather makes it difficult.

The second option is an outdoor pad with a refrigeration system under it.

Committee member Councillor John Gray says an outdoor ice rink is an “excellent way to bring the community together.”

“More importantly, it gets our children outside in the winter,” he says, noting it would bring back some fond memories for him as well.

“We can’t rely on the ponds anymore like we did when I was a kid,” he adds, noting weather conditions change from day to day.

City staff is expected to report back to council on the viability, location, and all associated costs of a refrigerated, natural and synthetic outdoor winter ice rink in the city.

The correspondence was also referred to the Community Centennial Committee.