Location

61 Dockside Dr, Toronto, Ontario

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Phone:

Schedule

See Schedule tab

City Councillor

The City Councillor for this rink is Councillor McConnell

Sherbourne Common Rink Profile

Rink change area: It has none. The only inside space for skaters is the washrooms, so in order to sit down to change shoes to skates, it's necessary to sit on the toilet.

Staff: Nice rin attendant, sits in the office to stay out of the wind

Equipment and Maintenance: Flying crew zamboni, once or twice a day.

Public Skating: the rink has no fence, so it's accessible 24 hours.

Sherbourne Common is a water treatment facility as well as a park. Here is an official fact sheet

Opening and closing dates.

Opens: Dec 1, 2012
Closes: Feb 24, 2013

Comments about this rink: e-mail us at rinkissues@cityrinks.ca.

Rink Diary2012-2013

See also: Editor's and Rink Users' blog

Dec.6 2012: Release of a staff report on Sherbourne Common

Here is a report proposing a new approach to maintenance for Sherbourne Common: report.

Jan 1, 2013

We just found this critical assessment of the problems of Sherbourne Common on the information-packed Project for Public Spaces website. The place is underused in the summer and the rink is often empty in the winter. It's made worse by the absence of shelter -- or rather, by the disuse of a perfectly serviceable change room, the second year in a row. The bitter winds of this location near the lake, with no sheltering buildings nearby (actually the building design forms a wind tunnel), reduces usefulness even more.

At least there are washrooms -- meaning that if a person's fingers are too cold to untie their skate laces outside, they can sit on a warm toilet and untie them there.

The city's website said the rink is open every day, but it doesn't mention that there's no access to the change room, ever.

few skaters, a bitter wind off the lake

skaters have to change outside

warm change room has been locked for two years

zamboni hose is too narrow, takes a long time to fill

Read More >>

From The City of Toronto Website 2012-13

For the skating schedule, go to Sherbourne Common Rink page on the City website, then click on Skating.

For up to date listings of open rinks (not the same as scheduled openings), see Current Conditions on the cityrinks.ca Home Page

If you notice a different schedule at your rink, please let us know mail@cityrinks.ca
See also the City of Toronto Outdoor Rinks web pages.

Rink Diary2012-2013

See also: Editor's and Rink Users' blog

Dec.6 2012: Release of a staff report on Sherbourne Common

Here is a report proposing a new approach to maintenance for Sherbourne Common: report.

Jan 1, 2013

We just found this critical assessment of the problems of Sherbourne Common on the information-packed Project for Public Spaces website. The place is underused in the summer and the rink is often empty in the winter. It's made worse by the absence of shelter -- or rather, by the disuse of a perfectly serviceable change room, the second year in a row. The bitter winds of this location near the lake, with no sheltering buildings nearby (actually the building design forms a wind tunnel), reduces usefulness even more.

At least there are washrooms -- meaning that if a person's fingers are too cold to untie their skate laces outside, they can sit on a warm toilet and untie them there.

The city's website said the rink is open every day, but it doesn't mention that there's no access to the change room, ever.

few skaters, a bitter wind off the lake

skaters have to change outside

warm change room has been locked for two years

zamboni hose is too narrow, takes a long time to fill

Read More >>

Rink Diary2011-2012

Saturday Dec.3 2011

snow-covered on opening day

11am: The rink is hard to spot amidst a pile of construction. The ice was covered in thick frosty snow, but the compressors were clearly on, and it looked like it could have been skateable if only it had ice maintenance.

There was one recreation staff at the rink, sitting in a glassed-in area that looks like it could be a snack bar. He said the rink was closed because there was no maintenance and didn't expect it any time soon. I asked if he had a phone number so I could check back later and he said he had no phone at all, but that his supervisor was bringing one later in the day. A father and daughter came by to check it out, but left soon after. 311 confirmed that the rink was closed, and had no estimate on when it might open. The only benches around were the concrete ones built into the rink design, though there were a couple of picnic table stacked nearby.

Sunday Dec.4 2011

6:25 pm: It's raining, the ice has lots of footprints & bumpy, doesn't look ready for skating yet. There is a little glass windowed area that currently has 5 parks dept. garbage bins and a table with a first aid kit on it.

rink with city skyline

the office -- supposed to be a cafe?

Wednesday Dec.7 2011

rink has potential

From rink user Geoff Vona: The ice is solid but a bit bumpy – looks like ice that’s not getting properly maintained. Skateable, but covered in a thin layer of crusty snow. That was between 12:30 and 1:30 today (Wednesday December 7th). No attendant, but the sign says there is no attendant between 11am and 3pm.

For the life of me I can’t figure out how an ice cleaner of any weight gets on and off this ice surface. There must be a portable ramp somewhere…

Read More >>

Rink Diary 2010-2011

January 26 2011

The Toronto Sun wrote about the imminent opening of the rink.

January 31 2011

Christopher Hume in the Toronto Star on opening day at the rink.

The city's document of key facts does not mention compressors or ice-making equipment.

February 3 2010

At 8 pm there were five skaters, with one rink guard sitting inside the unfinished cafe area. There was a bitter wind blowing. One woman was changing out of her skates by balancing on one foot in the little entryway to the washrooms. She said that the benches outside are made of cement and are partially snow-covered but also too cold.

The rink guard said that the most skaters he'd had at one time were eight, earlier in the day. The zamboni had come by only once, at 11 a.m., but with so few skaters, the ice was fine at 8 pm.

There is no parking on the street (Queen's Quay), even though it's wide and has little traffic.

The washrooms are very handsome, and the rink guard was evidently proud of the building, unfinished though it was. At this point the toilets are the warmest place to sit down, and with the lid down they should do fine as a skate-changing seat.

Friday Feb.18 2011, mid-afternoon, sunny and 9 celsius.

4.50pm: There were no skaters on the ice. The ice was wet all over and soft and slushy. There was a pile of snow on one corner of it.

Read More >>