Photo: Lavington Community Association

Outdoor skating at Lavington's newly covered community rink has been put on ice this winter.

The Lavington Community Association announced Friday that after consulting "Interior Health, the District of Coldstream, our insurance company, and members of our community, it is with heavy hearts that the Lavington Community Association has decided not to open the ice skating rink at Jeffers Park for the remainder of this winter."

A community fundraising effort that brought in $300,000 to put a roof over the multi-use pad saw construction finish in December.

The organization had hoped to flood the rink this month.

"It is tremendously disappointing for the LCA to take this step, given the outpouring of generosity from local government, businesses, and residents to get the roof over the ice surface built in December. However, due to provincial COVID restrictions and a concern for public health, the LCA has reluctantly made the decision not to put the ice in this season," the association wrote on its Facebook page.

"Obviously, the health crisis facing us is a fluid, evolving situation – and we remain hopeful that our community will be able to avail themselves of this facility at some point this year."