So, Wiarton Willie did not see his shadow this morning, thus predicting an early spring. Really, this has been the winter that never was. Where is the snow? If we weren't going skating every week I think we might forget it is even winter at all! Crazy.
This week we made our way to a park that I have been wanting to visit for a few summers now...Dufferin Grove Park. This park is located in the west side of the city (Dufferin/Bloor) and to be honest we don't make our way out there that often. I have heard so many, many amazing things about this park's committed community and fun facilities. In the warmer months the outdoor pizza ovens are in full use baking up pizzas and bread. The playground is very hands on for kids and they have a great farmers market. The community has rallied and really taken ownership of the park, which has lead to many of the incredible changes that have taken place. So, it was time to check out their skating facilities. Here is the rundown...
the change area has tables for eating or playing board games on - there was
a checkers and chess set available
the kid on the ice was fine...just kid dramatics!
lunch
parking - street parking available around the park
cost to skate - free
skate rentals - available for $2 /pair
skate change area - indoor change room
availability of hot chocolate - the Zamboni Cafe is inside with the change room, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of soup and mini-pizzas
ice quality - good
kid friendliness - very kid friendly, chairs and support bars available for early skaters
We happened to be skating on a Sunday, which is when they open both the hockey rink and the pleasure skating rink for a full day of pleasure skating. It was fun to skate between the two rinks. The park lived up to it's incredible reputation. We also happened to be there on the day that the community was holding an information session about the possibility of a City of Toronto outside workers strike. The strike deadline is February 5th and a strike, or lockout, could potentially spell the end of the skating season for people using city run rinks. In a typical winter, without our city rinks we could still skate on smaller man-made rinks...but they don't exist this winter...it's just not cold enough to maintain a rink this year without proper refrigeration. So, the people in the Dufferin Grove Park community are asking their local councillor to keep the compressors on, keep the ice cold. The Union workers have agreed to keep the ice cleared. Pretty amazing watching the power and passion of a community that LOVES their park. So, will we be skating next week? I really don't know.
REMEMBER...
It is important to play safe.
Children under 6 years of age MUST wear a CSA approved helmet
Children 12 years of age and younger MUST be supervised
Find out about the other rinks we have visited so far...