There will be three fewer outdoor ice surfaces for residents to use this winter, after a review by the parks and recreation department recommended that they be decommissioned.
City council authorized the department in February to conduct an assessment of rinks and make recommendations on ones that could be maintained as ice surfaces, ones that could be converted for other uses such as basketball or pickleball, and rinks that could be removed.
Based on the findings, the skating pad at Fourth Avenue and Oxford Street is being decommissioned, while the boarded rinks at Hillcrest and VLA (Veterans Landing Association) will be repurposed for pickleball or other activities.
The parks and rec department presented its outdoor rink master plan to city council during the June 24 regular meeting. Council voted 6-1 to accept the report; Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed.
Report findings
There are 16 outdoor ice surfaces in Moose Jaw ranging from boarded rinks, crokicurl, skating pads, to a speed skating oval, Scott Osmachenko, recreation services manager, told city council while reviewing the report’s findings.
All skating surfaces include lights; 10 have heated shacks with washrooms. The skating oval is operated in partnership with the Wakamow Valley Authority.
Thirteen ice surfaces will be available for 2019-20, with a maintenance priority system implemented for each site. Priority 1 rinks include East End, Sunningdale, Moose Square, West End, Smith, Regal, and the Wakamow Oval. Priority 2 rinks include Kinfield, Clark Gillies, Westheath, and Woodlily. Priority 3 skating pads include Elgin and Henleaze.
The crokicurl surface will be moved to the Kinsmen Sportsplex from Elgin Park for daily maintenance. This move will increase programming and availability while mitigating damage, Osmachenko said. The parks and rec department has also identified Elgin Park as a possible site for a skating trail to support the skating pad.
The Parkhill shack will be moved to Regal Heights to create a permanent shack that would increase year-round participation for the outdoor rink, playground programs, and soccer.
Westheath will be operated until the property has been subdivided and the outdoor rink has been decommissioned. Outdoor recreational amenities will be included in the Westheath subdivision park development based on the concept plan.
The department will also speak with the Wakamow Valley Authority about maintenance responsibilities for the cross-country ski trail. Osmachenko noted the department has usually been responsible for the maintenance of these trails.
The budget for this year’s outdoor ice surface program is $92,241. By implementing the maintenance priority system, all residents will be able to participate in outdoor ice surfaces in their neighbourhoods, Osmachenko added.
The goal is for all residents to be within a 1,000-metre radius of an ice rink. This radius was chosen as the designated walking distance since it mirrors Prairie South School Division’s transportation policies.
The outdoor rink master plan also lists the capital projects planned for each site during the next 10 years, with projects ranging in price from $5,000 for park benches and other infrastructure at several locations, to $120,000 for new playgrounds at Moose Square and Ross Wells-Clark Gillies.
