Kinsmen Rink ready for winter skaters

By Ian MacKay

Recreation officials hope people can skate on the Kinsmen outdoor rink longer this winter.

Workers painted the ice white and didn’t put in lines or other markings, recreation director Kelli Emmons told town councillors during their Dec. 15 meeting. The outdoor rink stands just west of the AGT Centre, the indoor arena.

One boy carries the puck towards an end defended by Lee Cannon, in front of two others at the Kinsmen outdoor arena late Friday afternoon. Photo by Ian MacKay

“As soon as you’ve got lines or logos, when it does start to warm up, those are the first things that heat up and melt,” Emmons explained. “To try and prolong the use, they thought, ‘Let’s not do it’ and we can get a few more weeks (of use), maybe.”

“It’s just beautiful,” councillor Greg Carlson said during the meeting, shortly after the outdoor surface opened. “You’ve got to get out there, folks.”

“It’s wonderful to have the volunteers,” Mayor Trevor Hay said about people who helped get the rink ready for another season.

Town staff also worked “a lot of hours in preparing it,” Carlson said.

Recreation supervisor Brett Danskin and “a really good group of volunteers” installed the ice, Emmons said. It’s being flooded with water from a cistern beside the AGT Centre, she said, answering a question.