Public Commons

Part of Outdoor Skating Rinks

Hi everyone:

After careful consideration and review of people's other commitments this weekend, Guy and I decided NOT to try and get the rink going again. It was pretty clear that the best we could do would be to have it ready for use on Monday, with continued skating on Tuesday and perhaps Wednesday. But those are school days (and the Parks Department has asked us not to encourage after-dark use of the rink), so the actual useful skating time available would be in the range of 5 - 8 hours total. It would take many more hours than that to get the rink built up, and with the vagaries of March weather we could well end up with poor quality ice. So .... no more local skating this winter.

On behalf of the MDCA and the whole community, I'd like to thank all of you for volunteering your time and energy to help make the rink a success. Together we made a real difference - working together to strengthen Mount Dennis!

This winter we had 29 days of rink operation during which hundreds of people enjoyed skating in Pearen Park. We did nearly 400 skate-loans, many of them to people with little or no skating experience. We also loaned out gloves, helmets, socks, and occasionally our hockey sticks and net. The volunteers who came out to help teach or assist in the skate hut all felt a real sense that they were making a difference. The individuals with whom our on-ice volunteers shared their skating skills were mainly school kids, but also some adults new to Canada who wanted to experience the joy of skating for themselves. We were able to provide almost everyone who showed up with good quality skates, sharp and well maintained as well as properly tied and fitted. We were able to give them the guidance they needed, and put them on an ice surface that was the best we could possibly achieve on a natural outdoor ice rink in Toronto,

Special thanks to those who did the often-unseen work of clearing snow from the rink, setting up the hoses and building the ice surfaces. We literally could not have done it without you. And particular thanks to Guy (the Iceman) Ruggieri, who did more than anyone else to make the rink a reality.

If you are like me, you found our community rink an enriching and rewarding experience, as well as one that helped connect you to the larger community.

All the best for this coming spring, summer and fall. You can look forward to an update in the December / January period next winter, when we will again be anxious to find volunteers, and you can once again be part of the Mount Dennis Community Rink experience!

Please pass this on to anyone who has helped out at the rink but is not on my email list.

I have prepared a more comprehensive "Thank You" to everyone who contributed to the rink this winter (attached). We will be posting this at the rink and on our web site. Please let me know if I have missed anyone.

Thank you

Simon Chamberlain Secretary. Mount Dennis Community Association

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