City Rinks (Toronto)
The Unofficial Website of Toronto's Outdoor Rinks
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TORONTO STAR, JANUARY 3 1958: "It is true that the parks department operates 58 natural ice rinks for skating and 23 for hockey - or will do so, if and when there is enough frost. For all the freezing weather we get here most winters, the department might as well spare the trouble and expense, and get on with the job of multiplying the number of artificial ice rinks."
(And they did!)
Click on poster to enlarge it
wood stove at DufferinContact
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City of Toronto Outdoor Skating Rink list
City Skating Brochures
posted September 29, 2007
Note: These are brochures for 2009-2010.
- North District
- South District
- East District
- West District
- Skating lessons brochures, 2008-2009
Local Weather
Toronto weather forecasts:
- Environment Canada five day
- Michael Kuss (City TV) seven day
Grenadier PondCustodians:
You are on the [cover page] of folder [City Hall Rink/Nathan Phillips Square]< Christie Pits Rink | Go to List of Rinks | Dieppe Rink >
See Rink Diaries for City Hall Rink/Nathan Phillips Square
City Hall/Nathan Phillips Square Rink Profile
Rink change area: There is a locker room with barely enough room to change your skates. Most skaters changed on the benches that surround the rink. Snack bar used to sell greasy-spoon food, but has been closed for some years now. A great opportunity squandered. Skate rentals, 416 368-8802.
Staff: One to three rink guards at a time, plus a zamboni operator always on site.
Maintenance: The rink has its own Zamboni, own operator on two shifts. Very well maintained. However, during large events in the Square, the ice isn't cleaned because it's too hard to get the large crowd of skaters off the ice. 14 shifts a week.
Public Skating and open shinny hockey:
Free pleasure-skating: From first light until 10 pm, seven days a week. This rink is generally quite crowded. Sometimes you can see excellent skaters there.
Free shinny hockey: Officially: No shinny, only pleasure skating. But it's known all over the city that after the rink guards leave at night (usually 10 pm), shinny hockey often breaks out on the rink -- a very good game, lit by the hotel windows across the street. The game doesn't usually go later than 1.30 am because by then too many lights are out at the Sheraton Hotel and skaters can't see the puck.
To inquire about shinny permits in the South District call Nellie Raposo DeMers at 416-392-0361.
Comments about this rink: e-mail us at rinkissues@cityrinks.ca.
Views of the rink
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Schedule
This rink has no fences and is always accessible. So if you've got your own skates, you're in business! Skaters come at night to skate by the light of the hotel windows - there's an ongoing shinny hockey game after 10pm.
The following are supervised pleasure skating times:
Sunday-Saturday
- 9:00am - 10:00pm
Notes
City Hall Rink
- This rink is always opened first and closed last. Because it's in the shadow from a big hotel to the south, its ice is better than rinks that are in direct sunlight.
- Parking underground in city hall lot (pricey but handy).
- 5 minutes from two subway lines and 2 minutes from the Queen Streetcar.
- Skate Rental: 416 304-1400. This is also the most reliable number to find out how the ice is.
Rink Diary 2009 - 2010
Saturday Nov.21, 2009
back on the ice, first day
Despite the slow start in ice-making, the rink opened today. The centre still had the earth section from the summertime palm tree plantings. But it was market with pylons, and nobody seemed to trouble themselves about it. There was a good lot of people skating, and even though the northeast corner was pretty wet, nobody seemed to be complaining.
Sunday Nov.22 2009
At 9 pm the rink had lots of people on it, but they were skating in the dark, with just the light from the hotel windows across the street to guide them. The rink operators said that nobody remembered to turn on the lights centrally, so there was nothing they could do.
I asked them if they had done any overnight floods, and they said, two or maybe even three nights had been staffed for flooding overnight.
Nov 23 2009
9am: no skaters, zamboni doing maint. Ice looks skateable.
8pm - 5 skates, 5 hangers around. No helmets. No visible staff. Ice looks great. The skaters are racing across the ice holding onto each other's waists.
Saturday Nov.28 2009
At 5.10 the rink was edged by skaters, waiting out the ice maintenance. On the south and east side of the rink there were a lot of blue tented booths, and a music stage was set up to the north, near the main doors of City Hall. A rapper was carrying out a booming, truly resonant sound check. The zamboni was doing a slow flood on very fine ice.
Many of the booths were empty, but one had a candy floss machine, operated by two youth. I asked them what event was on, and they pointed to a big sign: "Festival of Lights." They said it would begin in 20 minutes, and indeed when I rode away, I could see lots of people walking toward the square.
candy floss booth
smooth as glass
Monday Dec.7 2009
5.30 pm: 12 skaters looking happy despite the precipitation; few wearing helmets.
Tuesday Dec.8 2009
6.45pm: - Zamboni is going round the rink. People sit on the side of the rink waiting and watching.
Monday Dec.21 2009
2pm: at least 60 skaters with at least another 30 skaters on the benches hopping on and off the ice, one rink guard. Some of the little kids have helmets.
Tuesday Dec. 22 2009
5 pm: 60 skaters at least, plus more hanging around, the zamboni is cleaning the ice. Some helmets, 1 staff keeps control.
Tuesday January 5 2010
9.15am - zamboni on the ice no rink guards. (it was snowy)
11.15am - zamboni on the ice 2 rink guards both in helmets (it was still snowy).
1.30pm - zamboni on the ice 2 rink guards both in helmets and another city guy, no helmet, helping to shovel.
Monday February 1, 2010
Numbers samples, 9:15am:''' 2 pleasure skaters (no helmets, both were adults)
To see the (2007-2008) report card, click here
Content last modified on January 04, 2010, at 01:24 PM EST