A new skating path at Legion Park in Fort Frances is opening Friday morning at 11 a.m.
The addition of a new loop brings a third location for outdoor skating in town, alongside the McIrvine and East End rinks. A grand opening is planned for the loop this Friday, January 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the park.
Grass flooding to form the ice of “Legion Loop” in the park was done by the town’s park crew, Fort Frances Transportation Superintendent Cody Vangel said.
“We have a water truck that we use in summer for watering flower planter boxes,” Vangel said. “We filled that up with water and then essentially made a T bar to come off the back about eight feet wide, and then it just trickles water out. So, they’ve just been doing multiple loops trying to get a base set down there.”
Vangel said the town is running the loop this year as a trial and contacted Thunder Bay, Ont., to gain ideas on how the city has implemented skating loops in the past. Depending on public feedback and amount of use the skating trail gets, the town intends to carry it into winters to come.
Maintenance will be carried out regularly by the park crew. When snow removal is conducted throughout the area, they will visit the loop to clear off snow and pour new layers of water to keep ice smooth.
The loop is approximately 350 metres long with a width of 2.5 metres. Its opening falls on a school PD day, giving children and families an opportunity to visit and get skating right away.
