The Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association has started planning for an outdoor ice rink at Inks Lake, south of the city.

Spokesperson Nancy Bepple says the success of the rink last winter showed there is a demand for more outdoor skating in the Kamloops area.

“We are looking at hopefully building an oval again which was very popular and then helping maintain some of the shinny hockey rinks as well,” she said. “It will really depend on the number of volunteers we can get out and whether we can cover the cost, but that is our goal.”

Bepple says the Kamloops Outdoor Skating Association is hoping to begin work on the Inks Lake outdoor rink in early January.

“You have to sort of wait for the ice to get a bit solid so we’re going to be watching the weather,” she told NL News. “We worked on it starting at the end of January last year but we want to start a bit earlier this year so that there are a few more weeks of skating.”

Bepple says the status and the success of the outdoor rink, south of Kamloops, will depend on the number of volunteers that step up as well as when the association can cover the costs.

“We are looking at what type of equipment we need. Last year, we had a quad with a blade and we also had a mini Zamboni. So those two are really still critical for making decent ice,” she added.

“Last year, we tried to go out on a Thursday night just so that it would always be ready for the weekend, so having people that are willing to go out and clear the snow, fix the cracks, and flood the ice…those are the things that we’re hoping for.”

Bepple says the success of the rink last winter showed that there is a demand for more outdoor skating in the Kamloops area.