Views of the rink

Greenwood Rink

Rinkhouse entrance

Rink Diary 2009 - 2010

Sunday Dec 6 2009

8 pm - open, 7 skaters playing shinny hockey.

Wednesday Dec 16 2009

7pm: 12- 15 shinny players, no pleasure skaters, no helmets. They are playing one game together. Looks like fun.

Friday Dec.25 2009

2.30 pm (rain). 1 skater, no helmet.

Wednesday Dec.30 2009

Numbers at 3:30 pm: 22 shinny players (2 helmets), 25 pleasure-skaters, 13 people inside. Staff: one building attendant, one zamboni driver.

The building attendant was on his cellphone the whole time so it was not possible to ask him any questions, except to let him know that there was no toilet paper in any of the three stalls in the women's washroom. At my request, he obligingly paused talking for a moment and gave me three rolls so that I could put one on each roller.

The changeroom is dingy and ugly despite a recent coat of paint, and it seems that many skaters prefer to sit on the broad windowsill of the bright hallway across from the staff counter, to change into their skates.

There is a bulletin board outside the rink, with frayed plywood that long ago lost its paint. The locked glass cover at the bottom of the board has only one faded, undated "Season's Greetings" sign with a holiday skating schedule that appears to be from some years back.

On the rink the many pleasure-skating families looked happy and even the numerous shinny players swirling around one puck seemed pleased.

Tuesday Jan.12 2010, e-mail from S.B. to City Councillor Paula Fletcher, cc CityRinks

January 13 2010, e-mail to CityRinks from S.B., which CityRinks forwarded to Parks Director Andy Koropeski

Here are some simple (and some urgent) improvements for Greenwood Rink:

-Repair uneven sidewalk from bottom of stairs to rink. Rubber mats laid over uneven walkway are a serious hazard. Cut rubber mat and lay properly on stairs.

-keep ball park floodlights on later for people cutting across park to rink from Greenwood Avenue and for tobogganers

-turn up heat in front room; much warmer in changerooms, but changerooms are windowless and dreary.

-more seating in front room and outside. Move some of the unused benches inside the changeroom to front room and outside around rink

-work order for water fountain in front room. Water is warm and spills over onto floor.

-remove pile of garbage bags from entrance to rinkhouse & regularly clean-up garbage around rink and building.

Wednesday Jan.13 2010

From S.B.: At about 9:45pm, teenagers emerged from all directions with sticks and skates. I asked a girl hanging out on the wall if she knew what was going on and she told me that they enter the rink from a gap in the wooden fence along the west side and that the lights stay on until 11:45. As I was leaving I saw them climbing through the gap.

For women's shinny, we had 10 women shinny players. Last week they told me they had to kick off 20 men who wouldn’t even get off for the zamboni to flood.

Wednesday Jan.13 2010, email from Recreation Supervisor Michael Ellison to S.B., forwarded to CityRinks:

Thank you for your email sent January 12, 2010 regarding the outdoor ice rink at Greenwood Park concerning the operational hours at Greenwood Park. The rink is open from 9:00 am-10:00 pm Monday to Sunday, However the building is only open Monday to Saturday 1:00 pm -10:00 pm and 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Sunday. We are not able to leave to building open and unsupervised for safety and security reasons.

We will continue to work with all individuals to improve the customer service and experience for all participants who use our facilities.

Parks, Forestry & Recreation strives for high standards in our service delivery, and welcomes input from our participants to continue such delivery, please free to contact Michael Ellison, Supervisor of Community Recreation, Parks, Forestry & Recreation at 416 392-5143 or mellison@toronto.ca should you require further information or have any questions.

Thursday January 14 2010, email from S.B. to Recreation Supervisor Michael Ellison, cc'd to CityRinks

Thanks for your attention to my query. I trust that the public schedule will be updated to reflect the actual skating times and that the rinkhouse hours will be noted. I also hope that some benches will be moved outdoors so that people have a place to put on skates when the building is locked. Unfortunate that the building can’t be open longer.

Thursday January 14 2010, email from Jutta Mason (CityRinks) to S.B., cc Michael Ellison and Parks Director Andy Koropeski

If a zamboni driver is scheduled to be on site for two shifts per day at Greenwood, there is no reason why the rink change area cannot be open and available to the public from 9 a.m.

The other outdoor rinks where this is the current practice (mornings) are: Rennie, High Park, Giovanni Caboto, Humber Valley, Martingrove, Prince of Wales, Sir Adam Beck, Sunnydale, West Mall and Westway rinks. In all these rinks, even when the zamboni driver has to check on another rink or do an errand, the changerooms/washrooms are open and accessible to the public from 9 a.m.

The only thing I'm aware of that's different about Greenwood is that it has higher usage than any of those other rinks, with the exception of Rennie. I have copied the Parks director, Andy Koropeski, for his comment.

Friday January 15, 2010

Numbers sample 9:30pm: 20 shinny players, (5 with helmets), 3 pleasure-skaters.

Saturday February 6, 2010

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To see the (2007-2008) report card, click here

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Content last modified on January 22, 2010, at 10:14 AM EST