BY JACOB PACHECO
Christmas in the Park Day was held at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton where the outdoor local ice rink is once again open.
On Dec. 16, the City of Brampton held a Christmas Day event in one of Brampton’s biggest public park to promote the opening of Chinguacousy’s outdoor ice rink. This is the second year being open after last year’s grand opening cost the City a total of $6 million to construct. Skaters have been anxiously waiting to hit the trail this year. For the rink to be open and running the current temperatures have to be below freezing for at least a week before the ice can maintain a skating surface.
The rink is shaped almost like a regular ice rink with the exception of a few bends to maintain a fluid flow for beginning skaters and some of the most experienced skaters. Near the ice rink, there are skate and helmet rentals for those who do not own their own pair of skates.
The running hours of the rink are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., when the capacity usually increases during the night hours when the lights turn on, the feel of Christmas is really felt around the rink. The rink can hold a preferred maximum of 200 people skating at one time.
Some Workers at Chinguacousy Park skate around the rink making sure no one gets hurt and everything is running smoothly.
“I think this is a great addition to this park. It’s fun despite those freezing cold days,” said Alex Burns, who has been working at the park for almost three years.
There is also a large downhill area for skiing and snowboarding, with the addition of an indoor curling centre that runs all season long and throughout the summer as well. During the summer, the winter ice rink is transformed into a shallow water pool for young kids or anyone looking to get their feet wet on the hot summer days.
“This rink is never overly crowded, so it’s fun to just fly up and down the ice, I’m glad they added this here,” said Alexis Pace. Although there is no closing date for the rink, there are not many other outdoor rinks around Brampton. This is something passionate skaters in this part of Brampton have been wanting for some time.
For other outdoor rinks:
www.brampton.ca/EN/residents/recreational-Activities/Pages/Outdoor-Skating.aspx
