Town preparing outdoor rinks

With winter clearly on its way, the town is getting local outdoor rinks ready for local children to use for hockey and skating.
Community Services manager George Bell told council Monday that the Parks department staff has completed upgrading the east end outdoor rink on Fifth Street, which is now a regulation-sized ice surface with new boards and lighting.
He added the Parks department also has started flooding all of the town’s outdoor rinks. “Hopefully, they’ll be ready for use in a couple weeks, weather permitting,” said Bell.
Once the ice surfaces are ready, Bell noted all the town’s outdoor rinks will open at 7:30 a.m. each day, and the rink lights will go off at 10 p.m. each night.
“We ask everybody who is using them to tidy up and put things away,” said Bell.
Any vandalism should be reported to the Memorial Sports Centre (274-4561) or the Parks department (274-9893). Anyone using the rinks “inappropriately” (such as loitering and using alcohol or drugs on site) should be reported to the OPP.
“We’re also looking for volunteers to help us with the outdoor rinks If anybody is interested in helping out, you can give the sports centre a call and ask for Graham (Matheson) or call Bill Caul at Parks,” noted Bell.
“I got a lot of positive comments last year about how we maintained the rinks,” said town CAO Mark McCaig, adding that staff and dedicated volunteers have done a great job but more volunteers would always be welcomed.
“We’re committed to having some good outdoor rinks in Fort Frances, but we need the help of the people to keep them that way,” he remarked.
McCaig stressed that those using the rinks should be conscious of the young children also using them, and if they’re inclined to loiter and act inappropriately there, they should go elsewhere.
The public also should recall that the town dismantled the west end rink (located on Lillie Avenue) over the summer. The decision to tear that rink down was made last winter as that ice surface was seeing little use by the public.
As well, Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown said the town has no plans to do any work on the central outdoor rink at Robert Moore School in 2008 as that property is one of several possible sites for a new school.
The town also has no plans to work on the McIrvine rink at this time, as it already still is in good shape.