An outdoor rink has not been used since the Hometown Hockey event in Feb. 2017 for what the City of Nanaimo calls cost and logistical reasons. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

frozen asset

‘We underestimated the costs:” Nanaimo’s outdoor rink faces uncertain future

Dec 8, 2019 | 1:02 PM

NANAIMO — Equipment for an outdoor skating rink purchased by the City continues gathering dust, with no future plans to set up the ice sheet again.

A temporary outdoor rink debuted for the Hometown Hockey event in Feb, 2017, costing local taxpayers $200,000, but hasn’t been used since.

Richard Harding, the City’s director of parks, rec and environment, told NanaimoNewsNOW the costs and various logistics of setting up and operating the rink make it challenging to operate.

“It takes a good year or so to plan and fund raise for it to make sure all the other components that would be required to have an outdoor rink go in.”

The rink won’t be used this year, in fact, Harding doesn’t believe it will be utilized next year either.

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“Now and again when an event comes people think ‘Well, can we put this up for an event.’ And we say we can’t, it just needs a lot of pre-planning to make it happen,” Harding said.

He said realistically it will take a local organization to help the City’s shoulder the costs.

The previous council voted to buy the mobile rink pad for $50,000, and opted to rent, as opposed to purchase associated necessary equipment, which would have brought the bill to roughly $580,000.

The outdoor rink stood From Feb. 17 to 26, 2017 and was very popular according to Harding, who said more than 4,400 people used it.

A local organizing committee for the Hometown Hockey event advocated to City staff and council to approve the $200,000 required for the temporary rink infrastructure.

Purchasing the equipment was seen by the City as a lasting legacy, with the potential of future outdoor skating opportunities.

Councillor Ian Thorpe voted in favour of investing in the temporary rink during a Nov. 2016 vote.

Thorpe said his yes vote for the rink was tied to the belief it could become an annual winter attraction.

“That was my thought,” Thorpe said. “I guess unfortunately we underestimated, or I underestimated, the logistics and the costs involved.”

Thorpe said he will follow-up on the issue.

“I would expect that Mr. Harding will bring some kind of report to council…I think it’s something we need to look at.”

Harding said the outdoor ice sheet is not listed in any City budget documents and would require Council approval for future use.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes