Ice surface at Stuart Park almost ready to welcome back skaters

Photo: Contributed

Stuart Park ice being installed

The ice rink at Stuart Park is almost ready for skating.

Temperatures in the Okanagan are dropping, snow has been falling in some areas, and with it comes a tradition — outdoor rinks.

Free skating at the Stuart Park outdoor ice rink begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1, weather permitting. The rink will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until late February.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the community to enjoy outdoor skating at the Stuart Park rink this season,” says Steve Fagan, supervisor for arenas and stadiums. “Skating at Stuart Park is one of the highlights of winter in Kelowna and we’re excited to return to a casual-use, drop-in model, but do encourage all attendees to be safe and considerate of others.”

Residents will be able to keep their eyes on the ice via a still-image live cam. This will also help people see crowd sizes or if the rink is closed for weather-related maintenance before they head down to the rink. The live cam feed is updated every few minutes and is already live so residents can view the evening ice making process ahead of opening day.

Skates rentals will be available on-site daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the skating season, except Christmas day, when the rental shop will be closed for the day. All attendees are asked to follow the rink regulations as posted on surrounding signs and are encouraged to wear helmets.

“We encourage anyone coming down to the rink to check the live cam in advance to help avoid crowding.” adds Fagan. “It’s important that the community works together and is considerate of one another as crowding can lead to further restrictions or closures in a pandemic environment.”

If the Stuart Park ice rink is too busy, residents are reminded there are also indoor public skating times available at Capital News Centre, Memorial Arena and Rutland Arena.