The County of Grande Prairie has opened up opportunities to help residents hit the ice this winter. It is accepting applications for both its Neighborhood Ice Surface Program and to use a stormwater pond for an ice surface.
For a neighbourhood to be eligible for either, at least four volunteers must be named on the application form. By doing so, they commit to installing, maintaining, and removing the ice surface. In the case of the stormwater pond, the group would also be in charge of testing the depth of the ice surface to ensure it is safe for use.
When it comes to the neighbourhood ice surfaces, the community will have to identify where the water for the ice surface will come from, whether it is an already existing Aquatera infrastructure or volunteers who are bringing water from off-site. Before the skating rink is built, the county will inspect the proposed site to ensure the area works for a skating rink.
After the rink has been built, the county will conduct another inspection, ensuring that all rink requirements are met, and once skating season has ended and the rink is removed, the county will do another inspection to ensure the area wasn’t damaged and left tidy. Applications to use a stormwater pond for recreation close November 30th, while the Neighborhood Ice Surface Program applications close December 31st.
