People in Grande Prairie may be able to go skating as early as this Friday. Outdoor Rink Contact Barb Welander says all 10 of the city maintained rinks should be open by then.
“The large rinks that hockey can be played on… will be open by Friday and the lights will be turned on, hockey nets will be put on those… The littler rinks that are just for skating… will all be open by Friday.”
Rinks approved for Hockey are at the following schools; Alexander Forbes, Crystal Park, Hillside, Montrose and Swanavon. Those rinks only for skating are located at Harry Balfour, I.V. Macklin, J.C. Mackie Park, Kateri Mission and Parkside.
Welander says the preferred temperature to flood and operate the rinks is minus five. With temperatures hovering above zero lately, she says they’ve started flooding during the night when it’s colder.
“When you have to work alongside mother nature that has more control then you do you just have to go with it. We do have a crew working nights so that we can get the flooding done at night and it will freeze better during the night because you don’t have the sun beating down on it.”
The skating pond at Muskoseepi Park also recently opened on December 6th. The Aquatera Community Skating Oval is expected to open for the new year weather permitting.
A full list of city rinks and their status can be found at the city’s website.