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You are on the [November 26-28] page of folder [Rinks Diary 2008-2009]
For the cover page of this folder go to the < November 29-30 | 2008-2009 Diary Page List | November 21-25 >
November 28, 2008
Thin ice
Weather: heavy clouds, a few short bits of rain. High 4 celsius, low -1.
Five workers back down to two doing the hoses. We heard that no afternoon shift was booked to keep flooding. The zamboni arrived but was not used yet. One of the workers was pessimistic about ice being ready. Another one was optimistic.
It turned out that two staff did come in and flood again in the afternoon, and they said they'd do a few times. Maybe there's a chance...
The rink is open, just in time for the Cavalcade of Lights, which starts tomorrow. last year the ramp had a "danger" sign on it, and people had to step way down off the overhanging edge to get on the ice. This time the ramp has no such sign. Good!
The ice is back, but no "danger" barrier on the ramp. Better!
Getting ready for "Cavalcade of Lights"
City Hall is one of the few larger rinks that doesn't have a garage for the zamboni, so they've made a little plastic tent for it. The zamboni driver says they have a heater in there, and that it's seldom that the zamboni freezes up.
zamboni filling
zamboni night shelter
It seems like maybe the "revitalizating" is just new boards (with logos?) The problem seems to be that the old boards were ripped out but the new boards are not delivered yet. The frames for the boards are not ready either, there is a lot of twisting from when the old board were removed.
Besides that, about a week ago CIMCO discovered a leak in the header trench, so two technicians were there repairing the pipes. The pipes look rusty, the compressor room is old, the condenser looks pretty rough, and there's no zamboni garage. Oh dear.
waiting for boards
header trench -- rusty pipes
Good ice, with the zamboni flooding. The zamboni has the Toronto Maple Leafs on it, even though they didn't give the zamboni -- in return for giving the boards and the scoreboard three years ago, the Leafs got to "wrap" some pictures on the zamboni. The images show kids playing hockey, bound (maybe) for the NHL.
The rink staff said that they began to cool the rink with the compressors over a week ago (Nov.20) and they started ice-making on last weekend. But then the weather wrecked the first layer and they had to begin again on Tuesday Nov.25.
ice coming along
zamboni image wrap
November 27, 2008
Weather: heavy clouds with the occasional lighter moment. High 3 celsius, low 1.
About 5 workers came at 7 to begin putting water on the rink. before they began, they cleaned up a bit more and got the nets unstuck. After a while there were only 2. They sprayed the rink until 1.15 when they had to leave to go back downtown to sign out.
The ice still has dirt on it, even though it's better than before. The dirt next to the south-facing boards is worrisome, since that's where the sun will thaw first in late winter. Dirt makes dark patches, much easier for the sun to thaw.
starting to hose Thursday morning
patches of dirt and leaves in ice
Announcement on the city's "rink hot-line" -- City Hall rink is open.
November 26, 2008
Compressors turned on
Weather: high 2 celsius, low 0. A few rain showers mixed with wet snow, but no accumulation.
The compressors were turned on but the rink still has dirt patches and leaves. There may have been some more cleaning today but none after 1 pm. At 8 pm the rink is icing up, and the nets, still out there, are frozen into the rime, along with the leaves and the dirt.
< November 29-30 | 2008-2009 Diary Page List | November 21-25 >
Content last modified on October 14, 2009, at 06:57 PM EST