By Steve Hubrecht
The village of Canal Flats is going to look at the possibility of an outdoor skating rink this winter.
The idea was sparked during last week’s Canal Flats council meeting, when Canal Flats Community Society member, Shawn Doherty appeared before council, outlining potential new recreation opportunities in the village including a simple outdoor ice rink, a skatepark and a splash park.
The possibility of an outdoor rink intrigued council members, who directed village staff to investigate the matter and report back to council about what it would cost and about the liability associated with such a rink.
“We’ve asked staff to do a survey and look into it a bit more,” Canal Flats mayor, Mark Doherty, told the Pioneer. “The idea would be to have a small rink for families to use. On weekends, our arena is always booked right up. So this would be something for local kids to be able to just walk to, right in town, instead of having to walk to the beach (at Tilley Memorial Park) to go skating.”
Currently the park at Tilley, on Columbia Lake, is the only decent spot for unscheduled outdoor skating in the village, but it is a fairly long walk (more than three kilometres round trip) for most residents in the downtown core of Canal Flats to get to the park in winter.
The outdoor skating rink idea included perhaps having a fire pit or two nearby, so skaters can warm up.
“Council has asked staff to evaluate it,” Cana Flats chief administrative officer (CAO), Richard Wayken told the Pioneer. “We’ll certainly look at it, look at the costs and maintenance.”
Wayken explained that although there is a lot of open space within the village that could suit an outdoor skating rink, the best spot is out by the main hall (the Canal Flats Civic Centre) and the arena.
