The long-anticipated outdoor skating rink in Riverside Park remains on schedule, with city staff now targeting a mid-January opening.

Project Delivery Manager Adam Gordon says construction has progressed smoothly through the fall, and major equipment has now arrived on site.

“We are still on track,” Gordon said in an update this week. “We have been communicating and indicating a January opening, and it seems like we are certainly headed there.”

One of the final major components—the chiller unit that will keep the ice frozen during warmer spells—was delivered in recent weeks. Power has also been connected to the site, and landscaping work is now wrapping up.

According to Gordon, the contractor expects to hand the site over to city staff just before the end of December. Staff will then spend early January preparing the rink for public use, setting up equipment and finalizing safety measures. The goal is to welcome skaters by mid-month.

Early hurdles overcome

Gordon says the project has stayed largely on schedule since construction began in March. The biggest challenge came right at the start, when crews began removing the old concrete from the historic pool that once occupied the site.

“We knew it was there,” he said. “I just don’t think we anticipated how thick that concrete would be. They don’t build them like they used to—and how they used to was with very thick concrete.”

Despite that early hurdle, the remainder of the work has proceeded as planned.

Christmas Market won’t be affected

With the city’s annual Christmas Market now underway in Riverside Park, Gordon says visitors may notice some activity near the construction area, but all remaining work will remain behind fencing.

“We are going to keep the fencing up until the project is otherwise open to the public,” he said. “Folks attending the Christmas Market… will just see our contractor still keeping busy with finishing up the landscaping and otherwise getting that chiller ready for operations.”

A year-round addition to the park

The Riverside Park rink is designed as a free, drop-in community facility, operating annually from December through March. In warmer months, the concrete slab will double as a space for food trucks, events, and recreational activities. The project also includes accessibility improvements through a new looped pathway.

Council first approved the rink in April 2023 based on recommendations from the City’s 2013 Parks Plan, aiming to boost winter programming and attract more visitors downtown. The $7.16-million project is fully funded through the Province’s Growing Communities Fund.

Construction of the refrigerated slab—requiring a single-day pour of nearly 280 cubic metres of concrete—took place earlier this fall, marking one of the most significant milestones of the project.

Gordon originally estimated the facility would be ready in early 2026, but work has advanced faster than anticipated, allowing for this winter’s soft opening.

“We hope to mid-January have ourselves fully open to the public,” he said.