Thunder Bay outdoor skating rinks to close this week

Due to rising temperatures, most outdoor skating rinks in Thunder Bay, except for the waterfront rink, are expected to close later this week. The city had originally planned to keep the rinks open through March break, but with temperatures expected to rise above 5 degrees Celsius from Thursday to Saturday, that plan has had to be adjusted.

Cory Halvorsen, the city's manager of parks and open spaces, said that although some rinks are still in use during March break, overall operations have been significantly reduced. "The past few days have been tough, with a few rinks still holding on, but it looks like most outdoor rinks will stop operating within the next few days," he said.

Currently, eight supervised rinks in Thunder Bay have been converted to boot-only use due to soft ice. However, Halvorsen noted that with cooler overnight temperatures, the city plans to re-flood these rinks tonight, and most supervised rinks are expected to be skateable again tomorrow. He also reminded residents that conditions may vary depending on sunlight and infrastructure at each rink (for example, the rinks at Des Street and North Neebing are performing better because they have concrete bases, and the Prince Arthur Landing rink has a refrigeration system), so he advises people to check the city's real-time [outdoor rink map] for the latest information.

The city encourages residents to take advantage of the last chance to enjoy outdoor skating this week, while also looking forward to a return to more stable conditions next skating season.

Source:  https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/thunder-bay-outdoor-skating-rinks-set-to-close-this-week-10350805