For better use and better management. The UNOFFICIAL Website of Toronto's Outdoor Skating Rinks
Opened: Dec.1, 2019
Closing: Jan.4, 2020
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Rink change area: An indoor warming area and benches outdoors across from the skate rental
Staff: friendly and helpful
Helmet use: recommended but not required (same as Harbourfront)
Maintenance: Ice maintained by scraping and hosing
Comments about this rink: e-mail us at [email protected].
Hours of Operation:
Open Daily (weather permitting)
Sunday to Wednesday: 11am-7pm
Thursday to Saturday: 11am-9pmFree Skating Lessons:
Daily: 12pm-4pm
On a cloudy Sunday afternoon the rink has lots of people. There is a warming lounge that's running a kids' movie (lounge is sponsored by Best Buy, so maybe they prefer screens over exercise). There's a rink guard, who says she's a regular Union Station employee doing a shift on the rink. She got picked because she can skate. She's very friendly and responsive to the skaters -- acting more like a host than a rule enforcer. Lots of people learning to skate (there are skate aids to hold on to). The rink guard says there are free skating lessons daily at noon and at 4, and that they're popular.
The media articles said this would be the city's biggest skating rink, half the size of an NHL rink, but that's nonsense -- it's not very big. There was a rumour that there would be mulled wine, like in European Christmas market, but the rules sign says no alcohol.
The disclaimers are large:
Osminton (Union Station) Inc., City of Toronto, T-D Bank and Best Buy Canada Ltd. do not accept responsibility for any damage, expense or injury including death from the patrons use of or presence on the skating facility or travel beyond the skating area boundary, DUE TO ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR BREACH OF ANY STATUTORY OR OTHER DUTY OF CARE, INCLUDING ANY DUTY OF CARE UNDER THE OCCUPIERS/ LIABILITY ACT, RSO 1990, c.02.