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You are in the Mc Cormick Park folder

Welcome to The Unofficial Website of Toronto's Outdoor Skating Rinks

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Natural Ice Rink: This rink is not operated by the City of Toronto

McCormick Park Profile

Features:

A double pad rink was made in 2013, none in 2014. In 2015 ice-making began Jan.25.

Comments about this rink: e-mail us at [email protected].

2016

Jan.20, 2016:

bare, frozen dirt on the baseball diamond

no sign of any ice-making.


Rink diaries from earlier years:

Rink Diary 2015

Feb.3, 9.30 pm, from LF

The rink is glistening and looking great!

A heads up - Wes and I closed tonight and the gate was locked. No one had a key. We were able to pull the hose through a space in the fence and put it in the wheel barrow. It was just fine and possibly better than taking the wheel barrow to the fence. So anyway, if you find yourself in that situation, don't despair, you can still put the hose away.

I think it would be good to have a hosing schedule for when the rink is active. I would be happy to volunteer from 8:30 to 9:00 one night a week for example. I think that's all it should take - half an hour at the end of the day. What do people think?

From JC: We've been pulling the hose through the fence and getting it in the back room for several days now. You just have to get the front desk to let you into the room w a key.

Someone put the wrong padlock on the cage and it needs to be cut off.

I can hose late nights (8-9) at least once a week

Feb.2 2015

From JC, 11.30 am: -People are meeting today at 4:30 to shovel off the rink, and then perhaps going for a skate. Please bring a shovel and a broom and help out!

From MM, 12.10 pm:

IN!

The ice was looking real nice yesterday eve when we put down the last coat before the snow. I think with another evening of hosing (tonight) we can make it nice and smooth.

I can hose anytime from when we finish shoveling until 7 and then can come back after 8 when kids are in bed.

From WN, 2.30 pm: Busy this evening but can help with flooding Tuesday night if need be.

From MM, 6.49 pm:

Calling all hosers!

We need someone to help spray the outdoor ice rink from 730 to 815 TONIGHT.

Please help.

The rink should be done after Tuesday night but we really need your help NOW. (someone is currently hosing and someone is coming for the late shift at 815 but nobody in between).

Join us, please. Hot chocolate also welcome.

January 28, 2015

Jan.28, 4.15 pm: rink liner folds still poking out of ice

request for cooperation
emails to the neighbourhood list about the nitty-gritty of coordinating ice making

From MM, 5.55 pm: We need you tonight! We are making ice and it will be glorious. BUT, we need many more helpers.

Come by tonight any time between 6 - 9 pm to help build the ice rink. (Even if you can only spray for 15 minutes).

Let's do it!

Please.

From JF, 5.57pm: I can come at 8pm

From J&L, 6.02pm: We have 2 hoses running right now. We need to make as much ice as possible before the snow tomorrow. Thanks!

From BJ, 6.14pm: I have just come back to have dinner, and left the hose going, and will check back at 7:30 to see if any help is needed putting them away.

From AP, 10.10pm: I hope you got enough volunteers to get the rink made! It's so heartwarming to know this is happening.

Jan.25 2015

Looks like McCormick Park is going to have a rink after all. Apparently they were waiting for a plastic liner. Here's an email sent out to the neighbourhood list by Jen Cypher:

We made ice today! We used the liner and it is working quite well. We need more layers, so please volunteer to make ice via this email [email protected], or follow the instructions below.

We are only making ice during the times that someone is in the rec centre. To make ice you need to contact the front desk at the rec centre. They can open the cage and turn the water on for you, the hoses are stored inside the door at the rear of the cage (don't worry, you'll see them). The hoses in the wheelbarrow are the ones we've been using, although adding another piece of red hose is probably useful.

Make sure you are using the spray nozzle to make a fine mist at some height, spraying a fine coat of water from one end of the ice to the other and then starting again. Please do not point the water down at the ice or spray a lot in one area at once, the point is to built up fine layer after fine layer to avoid cracking.

Please stay off the liner/ice surface for now, so spray from the edges. Once we get a thicker layer we can walk on it, and eventually skate!

Anyone can hose any time the rec centre schedule allows, although it makes sense to do so when the sun is low and when you can keep shifts going, so organize with your neighbours.

Any questions let me know, let's get this rink going during the cold, cold week.


Jan.17: no ice-making yet

Jan.25: ice making started on the new liner
 
 

Rink Diary 2013

Sun Jan 6, 2013 Inside Toronto Article

There's an entry in inside Toronto explaining a bit about the McCormick Natural Ice rinks. Here's a snapshot.

Wed Dec 5, 2012. Posted by Jen Cypher

Friends of McCormick Park are planning on flooding a skating rink in the park this winter (weather willing). This project requires volunteers, people to commit to an initial flood and then maintenance flooding to keep a 3 inch or more ice surface going. If you are interested in helping out please email me at [email protected] and I will put you on the volunteer list, let you know about orientation etc.

All the best, hope for snow!

Saturday December 28th, 2012

Flooding of McCormick Park Rinks starts today. The plan is to make two rinks by the baseball diamond.

Tuesday January 1st, 2013 - New Year's Day - from Jennifer Cypher

Ice-making in McCormick Park will start at around 3 p.m. today, January 1st, and continuing until at least 8 p.m.. If you have expertise to share, are interested in learning how to flood, or just want to check it out and talk to your neighbours while kids run around in the snow please drop by what used to be the baseball diamond. There will be cookies and we are trying to transport hot chocolate.

''Editors note: The flooding continued till 11pm - below is a picture from the Friends of McCormick Facebook Page at the end of Day 1

 
Saturday January 5 2013

big two-pad surface

2 pm: kids on shoes

"skates might get dulled so we'll just use our shoes"
January 19 and 20, 2013

ice melts faster on a dark surface

The ice is all gone from the big double pad -- the dark red sand surface of the baseball diamond may have helped the rays of the January thaw sun. The temperature went back down on January 20, but as of 8 pm there was no sign of flooding yet.

January 23 2013

January 23: snow but no ice yet

sign from before: it takes so much work
January 26, 2013 from Lindsay Somers

Thank you so much for featuring McCormick's ice rink. We are trying to get up and running to do a hose down this evening. We are watching the weather for next week, and we are hoping we will be able to pull the rink off before it gets too warm again.

We have a great group of volunteers involved from the community, and are looking forward to enjoying our first real skate sometime soon.

Feb.1 2013

rink all gone

only the sign is left
Feb.2 2013, from Jen Cipher, Friends of McCormick Park

Come out and help re-start the rink in McCormick Park tomorrow. Email me for a time slot or just drop by between 10 and 4 and take a turn with the hose.

 

Views

Rink Diary2012-2013

Sun Jan 6, 2013 Inside Toronto Article

There's an entry in inside Toronto explaining a bit about the McCormick Natural Ice rinks. Here's a snapshot.

Wed Dec 5, 2012. Posted by Jen Cypher

Friends of McCormick Park are planning on flooding a skating rink in the park this winter (weather willing). This project requires volunteers, people to commit to an initial flood and then maintenance flooding to keep a 3 inch or more ice surface going. If you are interested in helping out please email me at [email protected] and I will put you on the volunteer list, let you know about orientation etc.

All the best, hope for snow!

Saturday December 28th, 2012

Flooding of McCormick Park Rinks starts today. The plan is to make two rinks by the baseball diamond.

Tuesday January 1st, 2013 - New Year's Day - from Jennifer Cypher

Ice-making in McCormick Park will start at around 3 p.m. today, January 1st, and continuing until at least 8 p.m.. If you have expertise to share, are interested in learning how to flood, or just want to check it out and talk to your neighbours while kids run around in the snow please drop by what used to be the baseball diamond. There will be cookies and we are trying to transport hot chocolate.

''Editors note: The flooding continued till 11pm - below is a picture from the Friends of McCormick Facebook Page at the end of Day 1

 
Saturday January 5 2013

big two-pad surface

2 pm: kids on shoes

"skates might get dulled so we'll just use our shoes"
January 19 and 20, 2013

ice melts faster on a dark surface

The ice is all gone from the big double pad -- the dark red sand surface of the baseball diamond may have helped the rays of the January thaw sun. The temperature went back down on January 20, but as of 8 pm there was no sign of flooding yet.

January 23 2013

January 23: snow but no ice yet

sign from before: it takes so much work
January 26, 2013 from Lindsay Somers

Thank you so much for featuring McCormick's ice rink. We are trying to get up and running to do a hose down this evening. We are watching the weather for next week, and we are hoping we will be able to pull the rink off before it gets too warm again.

We have a great group of volunteers involved from the community, and are looking forward to enjoying our first real skate sometime soon.

Feb.1 2013

rink all gone

only the sign is left
Feb.2 2013, from Jen Cipher, Friends of McCormick Park

Come out and help re-start the rink in McCormick Park tomorrow. Email me for a time slot or just drop by between 10 and 4 and take a turn with the hose.

 
 

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