The City of Charlottetown, in partnership with the 2023 Canada Games Host Society, has purchased and installed a portable artificial outdoor rink system for the greenspace in front of Founders Hall. The rink opened to the public on January 28, 2023 with skaters already taking the opportunity to test the ice.
“We’re so pleased to be partnered with the 2023 Canada Games Host Society to create a lasting memory of the excitement the Games are bringing to our city,” says Mayor Philip Brown. “This project will provide hours of active fun for our community for years to come.”
The rink is specially constructed using a tubing grid that pumps cold glycol through the tubes; the cold tubes draw out the heat from the ice surface. The chiller unit and tubing is what enables the ice to remain cold on warmer days, meaning the city will have an outdoor rink to use later into the season. The system is portable so this area can be reclaimed as a greenspace for the warmer months and replaced as an outdoor rink next winter.
“This new artificial system will enable the Parks and Recreation Department to provide a more consistent ice surface for residents to enjoy, even as the temperatures rise,” says Councillor Mitchell Tweel, Chair of Parks, Recreation and Leisure Activities Committee.
This outdoor rink will be a feature facility during the 2023 Canada Games IllumiNATION Festival and the complete list of events can be found on the 2023 Canada Games website:
www.2023canadagames.ca.
The project cost approximately $600,000 with the Host Society purchasing the portable artificial outdoor rink system with the City contributing a portion of funds, and the City paying for site design and preparation, concreate pads, and electrical infrastructure.
“The PEI 2023 Host Society is pleased to invest in new and improved facilities that will benefit Island communities for years to come," said Wayne Carew, Chair of the PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games Host Society. "The new skating rink in the heart of Charlottetown is a showcase of how PEI will be stronger and healthier for having hosted the Games. We encourage all Islanders to enjoy a skate outdoors and to take in all the sights and sounds of the IllumiNATION Festival during the two weeks of the Games.”
Founders Halls Greenspace Outdoor Rink is for recreational skating only, no sticks or pucks are permitted on the ice, and it’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. All participants are required to wear a CSA approved helmets while on the ice surface. For more information, see our website at
www.charlottetown.ca/leisure___recreation/programs_and_activities/skating_and_skiing
or contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (902) 368-1025.