Thunder Bay....Rink plan includes roofs
story by Kris Ketonen of the Chronicle Journal
Tuesday, November 6, 2012 - 08:00
Thunder Bay is working to upgrade some of its busiest outdoor rinks with not only seven-day-a-week supervision, but roofs.
A report from administration released during Monday’s city council
meeting recommends moving parks department resources around to enable
seven-day-a-week supervision at four outdoor rinks this season.
In addition, parks manager Paul Fayrick said, the city has applied for funding to build roofs over two of the busiest rinks.
“The community’s been trying to get back to seven-day operation,”
Fayrick said. “We, in a budget move several years ago, went from having a
seven-day operation to five days with the assumption that we would be
able to get community support, and volunteers to open up for the other
two days.
“That never did materialize.”
Under the new
plan, rinks at North End, Carrick, James Street playfield and West
Thunder Community Centre will have seven-day-a-week supervision.
Because of the shuffling of existing resources, there is no increased cost.
But some sites will be shut down, including several unboarded, unsupervised ponds, which are under-utilized, council was told.
Fayrick said supervised rinks will have an attendant on hand to maintain the ice and keep the facility clean.
“Their job isn’t to be security,” he said, adding that having them on hand does increase safety.
Since the report deals with operational-level parks matters, it doesn’t
require council’s approval. Council did request parks modify the plan,
however, to keep the pond at Parkdale and examine the feasibility of
adding a pond in the Woodcrest area.
In addition, the rinks at James
Street and North End may be under roofs if the city’s application for
Canadian Infrastructure Improvement Fund support comes through.
“The rink would be a permanent, boarded rink,” much like that at Charry Park in the East End, Fayrick said.
“There are a couple of advantages,” he said. “One is the rink operation stays (longer). You can start earlier and go longer.
“Also, the in-season maintenance is enhanced, because you don’t get
snow falling on it. You don’t end up having to clear, so if you get a
big dump of snow, you don’t need a plow truck and all that mobilization
to get going.”
Fayrick said the city expects to hear about its funding application soon. If approved, the roofs wouldn’t be ready until 2014.
The cost of installing the roofs wasn’t available Monday.
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????
A report from administration released during Monday’s city council meeting recommends moving parks department resources around to enable seven-day-a-week supervision at four outdoor rinks this season.
In addition, parks manager Paul Fayrick said, the city has applied for funding to build roofs over two of the busiest rinks.
“The community’s been trying to get back to seven-day operation,” Fayrick said. “We, in a budget move several years ago, went from having a seven-day operation to five days with the assumption that we would be able to get community support, and volunteers to open up for the other two days.
“That never did materialize.”
Under the new plan, rinks at North End, Carrick, James Street playfield and West Thunder Community Centre will have seven-day-a-week supervision.
Because of the shuffling of existing resources, there is no increased cost.
But some sites will be shut down, including several unboarded, unsupervised ponds, which are under-utilized, council was told.
Fayrick said supervised rinks will have an attendant on hand to maintain the ice and keep the facility clean.
“Their job isn’t to be security,” he said, adding that having them on hand does increase safety.
Since the report deals with operational-level parks matters, it doesn’t require council’s approval. Council did request parks modify the plan, however, to keep the pond at Parkdale and examine the feasibility of adding a pond in the Woodcrest area.
In addition, the rinks at James Street and North End may be under roofs if the city’s application for Canadian Infrastructure Improvement Fund support comes through.
“The rink would be a permanent, boarded rink,” much like that at Charry Park in the East End, Fayrick said.
“There are a couple of advantages,” he said. “One is the rink operation stays (longer). You can start earlier and go longer.
“Also, the in-season maintenance is enhanced, because you don’t get snow falling on it. You don’t end up having to clear, so if you get a big dump of snow, you don’t need a plow truck and all that mobilization to get going.”
Fayrick said the city expects to hear about its funding application soon. If approved, the roofs wouldn’t be ready until 2014.
The cost of installing the roofs wasn’t available Monday.
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????
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