Rink change area: Changerooms used to only be open if a city worker is on the site, but now they are open all day until sometime in the evening -- even if no city worker is on site.

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

2021 -2022

Feb.7, 2022

Jan.15, 2022

Dec.3, 2021

Marked as closed for "ice conditions."

Dec.4, 2021

Marked as closed for "Mechanical Issues. Repairs are underway. The rink is projected to open in January 2022."

---

2020 - 2021

COVID-RELATED RESTRICTIONS: To find out how to book a skating time, go to the city's outdoor rinks web page.
All shinny hockey has been removed except for Greenwood (and only children and youth are allowed there). The city's opening rules are described here and our rinks blog is here.

January 20,2021

---

Rink diaries from earlier years

2019 - 2020

NO reports

2018 - 2019

Dec.3, 2018

This rink was listed as open on Dec.1 but today it's listed as closed again.

---

2017 - 2018

Jan.4, 2018, email response from Parks Supervisor Graham Parsons

Your email has been forwarded to me for response by both 311 and Councillor DiCiano's office.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns about the ice maintenance at Wedgewood Artificial Ice Rink. We always appreciate feedback from our rink users, especially when they are long time skaters and shinny players like yourself.

I have looked into the issue and agree with your assessment that the ice is not optimal at this location, albeit still safe and useable. In speaking with staff, a combination of heavy usage, over scraping and reduced flooding due to snow events is the cause for the ice thickness. In response, staff have increased flooding on January 2nd, yesterday and again today to increase the ice thickness. As you noted in your email, this location is serviced by an off-site tractor and conditioner which also poses challenges. We will continue to inspect this location daily and address maintenance issues as they arise, making every effort to provide quality ice.

Again, I appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope you continue to enjoy skating and playing shinny at Wedgewood.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email me directly at [email protected]

Jan.3, 2018, from Dale Howey

I had a look at the rink and there didn't appear to be any bald spots but the ice is very thin. About 1 inch. As previously reported the court lines are clearly visible and the rink entry point is bare and slushy but there is only a slight gap to cross. The surface had been recently serviced.

The change rooms were also open and there were a few skaters there.

Jan.1, 2018, email from rink user

I grew up here in Etobicoke and have been playing shinny at wedgewood rink my whole life. I've noticed this year that the ice isn't suitable to skate on, there are numerous amounts of cement patches on the ice and I am able to see the tennis court lines from beneath the ice clearly indicating the ice is not thick enough. This should not be the case considering the fact that the weather here in Toronto has been -20. My younger sister near wiped out and cracked her head open on the insufficient ice because she hit a cement patch. I've also noticed that the Zamboni driver isn't doing his job correctly, his tractor is too small collect snow and lay down water at the same time, he needs to do two trips, and I've seen first hand that he does not. There is no excuse for that ice not to be in immaculate condition considering the help we've had from mother nature this winter. Outdoor recreation is in a decline with today's youth and I truly believe that the unsuitable ice conditions, specifically at wedgewood, are a factor.

Just wanted to share my concerns on this situation and I hope whoever is reading this can do something about it.

---

2016 - 2017

(most recent date first, earlier dates below)

How three days of repair work were turned into 5 weeks lost in the Wedgewood Rink season:

Response from Freedom of Information, received Feb.9, 2017:

Nov.29, 2016: electrical fire discovered when compressors were turned on

Nov.30, 2016: damage assessed

Dec.2, 2016: Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) contacted

  < weekend >

Dec.5 to 14, 2016: city staff and ESA think about what repair work needs to be done

  < weekend >

Dec.16: Parks Tech Supervisor sends description of needed work to Capital Projects, gets approval for contractor

  < weekend >

Dec.19 to 22 ACTUAL REPAIR WORK: contractor removes the old supply line and installs the new supply line

Dec.23, 2016: ESA approves the work, Toronto Hydro metering department contacted (11th hour: the Friday before Christmas)

   < Christmas long weekend >

Dec.29: Toronto Hydro metering department responds

Dec.30, 2016: Toronto Hydro visits Wedgewood, reconnects electricity (11th hour: the Friday before New Year's)

   < New Year's long weekend >

Jan.4, 2017: compressors started (why not on the 30th?)

Jan.7, 2017: rink starts up on the second-last day of the holidays.

read more

Jan.7 2017

The rink opened this morning.

A car was just pulling up as we left, with two excited little kids with skates and hockey sticks, and their equally excited parents. The mother said they had seem a guy hose-flooding yesterday, and then some friends who live beside the park had called them to say the rink was open. No signs on the doors otherwise.

Announcement on the city's rink web page, December 2016:

Parks, Forestry and Recreation will be carrying out state of good repair upgrades at Wedgewood Outdoor Pool (ODP), Artificial Ice Rink (AIR) and parking lot. Please note that both facilities and the parking lot will be closed during construction.

Project will include interior and exterior repairs and upgrades to the ODP and AIR and the replacement of the asphalt to the existing walkway and parking lot.

• AIR construction to begin early August 2016 • ODP and parking lot construction to begin after Labour Day 2016 • Completion anticipated December 2016

Jan.5, 2017

City Councillor Di Ciano's assistant says that the rink is only awaiting reconnection from Hydro. There is hope that it will open sometime this week (or next?)

The pace of this construction work, started in August, seems to have been very relaxed. Too bad for the skaters from the area -- this is one of the most popular "minor" rinks in Etobicoke, often having more skaters than the "major" rinks nearby.

Jan.1, 2017

At 11 a.m. on a sunny New Year's day, Wedgewood Rink no longer has any wheelbarrows or piles of dirt around. The doors to the rink house are brand new, the chain link is back up, there's lots of smooth asphalt for cars and people -- but there's no ice. A family is just leaving, with a couple of sad-looking kids. They don't have skates with them so they must have known the rink would still be closed, but perhaps they were hoping for some information about the delay in re-opening. But there is no information -- no sign anywhere.

---

Oct.25, 2016

---

2015 - 2016

Dec.16, 2015,

Interesting that this rink, the most heavily used of the "minor"-category rinks in Etobicoke, gets a shorter rink season. On what basis would that decision have been made? This is also one of the few "minor" rinks that has warm washroom and change facilities.

---

2014 - 2015

Dec.2 2014

The rink opened on Nov.29, closed Nov.30, reopened Dec.2.

---

2011 - 2012

Saturday Dec.3 2011

Morning: Good ice, no signage about the date of opening.

Evening, from rink user Eric HM: It's a small pad and there were at least 35 people there, mostly teens and young adults and the shinny was very fast, a couple of younger kids showed and up at one point there were 6 kids playing in a corner.

The Ice was really bumpy and was also torn up and had a lot of snow from heavy use. The south end of the rink was a little thin, though not through to the concrete. To everyone's disappointment, the lights turned off about 10:15, rather than the posted 11pm. The younger kids and a few parents stayed to play after the lights were off, since they finally had the whole rink to themselves.

---

2009 - 2010

Monday December 28, 2009

While nearby full-staffed "major" outdoor rinks have very few people at them today, this "minor" rink is hopping. There are 37 people on or beside the ice, and more pulling up in the parking lot.

This is obviously more than the shinny hockey players were hoping for, but there seems to be pretty friendly sharing of the ice on this holiday Wednesday.

I ask people there if the rink house is ever open and they say, no. However there's a light visible inside, through the only window. Presumably the city staff have to go in and out of there when they come -- once a day? -- to resurface the ice.

---

2007 - 2008

Saturday January 12

11:30am There are two city workers at the rink. One has brought his lunch. The changerooms are locked. The ice is thick, about 2.5 inches. A woman is watching her daughter skate in one corner. There are 4 shinny players on the ice. They are using a turned over garbage can as a net.

---

Saturday December 8

11am The rink has one pad with no boards. The changerooms are locked. There are two adults and three children playing shinny. There is also a teen. The teen says the changerooms are opened if a city worker is present. The ice is snowy and some of the players used shovels to clear a place to play. The teen says the rink is popular and had been packed the day before when it opened. Later that day a CELOS researcher meets the teen again at Queensway rink.

See Diaries tab

There is no schedule on the City website

From The City of Toronto Website 2014-15

For the skating schedule, go to Wedgewood, then click on Skating.

Rink Diary

2021 -2022

Feb.7, 2022

Jan.15, 2022

Dec.3, 2021

Marked as closed for "ice conditions."

Dec.4, 2021

Marked as closed for "Mechanical Issues. Repairs are underway. The rink is projected to open in January 2022."

---

2020 - 2021

COVID-RELATED RESTRICTIONS: To find out how to book a skating time, go to the city's outdoor rinks web page.
All shinny hockey has been removed except for Greenwood (and only children and youth are allowed there). The city's opening rules are described here and our rinks blog is here.

January 20,2021

---

Rink diaries from earlier years

2019 - 2020

NO reports

2018 - 2019

Dec.3, 2018

This rink was listed as open on Dec.1 but today it's listed as closed again.

---

2017 - 2018

Jan.4, 2018, email response from Parks Supervisor Graham Parsons

Your email has been forwarded to me for response by both 311 and Councillor DiCiano's office.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns about the ice maintenance at Wedgewood Artificial Ice Rink. We always appreciate feedback from our rink users, especially when they are long time skaters and shinny players like yourself.

I have looked into the issue and agree with your assessment that the ice is not optimal at this location, albeit still safe and useable. In speaking with staff, a combination of heavy usage, over scraping and reduced flooding due to snow events is the cause for the ice thickness. In response, staff have increased flooding on January 2nd, yesterday and again today to increase the ice thickness. As you noted in your email, this location is serviced by an off-site tractor and conditioner which also poses challenges. We will continue to inspect this location daily and address maintenance issues as they arise, making every effort to provide quality ice.

Again, I appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope you continue to enjoy skating and playing shinny at Wedgewood.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email me directly at [email protected]

Jan.3, 2018, from Dale Howey

I had a look at the rink and there didn't appear to be any bald spots but the ice is very thin. About 1 inch. As previously reported the court lines are clearly visible and the rink entry point is bare and slushy but there is only a slight gap to cross. The surface had been recently serviced.

The change rooms were also open and there were a few skaters there.

Jan.1, 2018, email from rink user

I grew up here in Etobicoke and have been playing shinny at wedgewood rink my whole life. I've noticed this year that the ice isn't suitable to skate on, there are numerous amounts of cement patches on the ice and I am able to see the tennis court lines from beneath the ice clearly indicating the ice is not thick enough. This should not be the case considering the fact that the weather here in Toronto has been -20. My younger sister near wiped out and cracked her head open on the insufficient ice because she hit a cement patch. I've also noticed that the Zamboni driver isn't doing his job correctly, his tractor is too small collect snow and lay down water at the same time, he needs to do two trips, and I've seen first hand that he does not. There is no excuse for that ice not to be in immaculate condition considering the help we've had from mother nature this winter. Outdoor recreation is in a decline with today's youth and I truly believe that the unsuitable ice conditions, specifically at wedgewood, are a factor.

Just wanted to share my concerns on this situation and I hope whoever is reading this can do something about it.

---

2016 - 2017

(most recent date first, earlier dates below)

How three days of repair work were turned into 5 weeks lost in the Wedgewood Rink season:

Response from Freedom of Information, received Feb.9, 2017:

Nov.29, 2016: electrical fire discovered when compressors were turned on

Nov.30, 2016: damage assessed

Dec.2, 2016: Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) contacted

  < weekend >

Dec.5 to 14, 2016: city staff and ESA think about what repair work needs to be done

  < weekend >

Dec.16: Parks Tech Supervisor sends description of needed work to Capital Projects, gets approval for contractor

  < weekend >

Dec.19 to 22 ACTUAL REPAIR WORK: contractor removes the old supply line and installs the new supply line

Dec.23, 2016: ESA approves the work, Toronto Hydro metering department contacted (11th hour: the Friday before Christmas)

   < Christmas long weekend >

Dec.29: Toronto Hydro metering department responds

Dec.30, 2016: Toronto Hydro visits Wedgewood, reconnects electricity (11th hour: the Friday before New Year's)

   < New Year's long weekend >

Jan.4, 2017: compressors started (why not on the 30th?)

Jan.7, 2017: rink starts up on the second-last day of the holidays.

read more

Jan.7 2017

The rink opened this morning.

A car was just pulling up as we left, with two excited little kids with skates and hockey sticks, and their equally excited parents. The mother said they had seem a guy hose-flooding yesterday, and then some friends who live beside the park had called them to say the rink was open. No signs on the doors otherwise.

Announcement on the city's rink web page, December 2016:

Parks, Forestry and Recreation will be carrying out state of good repair upgrades at Wedgewood Outdoor Pool (ODP), Artificial Ice Rink (AIR) and parking lot. Please note that both facilities and the parking lot will be closed during construction.

Project will include interior and exterior repairs and upgrades to the ODP and AIR and the replacement of the asphalt to the existing walkway and parking lot.

• AIR construction to begin early August 2016 • ODP and parking lot construction to begin after Labour Day 2016 • Completion anticipated December 2016

Jan.5, 2017

City Councillor Di Ciano's assistant says that the rink is only awaiting reconnection from Hydro. There is hope that it will open sometime this week (or next?)

The pace of this construction work, started in August, seems to have been very relaxed. Too bad for the skaters from the area -- this is one of the most popular "minor" rinks in Etobicoke, often having more skaters than the "major" rinks nearby.

Jan.1, 2017

At 11 a.m. on a sunny New Year's day, Wedgewood Rink no longer has any wheelbarrows or piles of dirt around. The doors to the rink house are brand new, the chain link is back up, there's lots of smooth asphalt for cars and people -- but there's no ice. A family is just leaving, with a couple of sad-looking kids. They don't have skates with them so they must have known the rink would still be closed, but perhaps they were hoping for some information about the delay in re-opening. But there is no information -- no sign anywhere.

---

Oct.25, 2016

---

2015 - 2016

Dec.16, 2015,

Interesting that this rink, the most heavily used of the "minor"-category rinks in Etobicoke, gets a shorter rink season. On what basis would that decision have been made? This is also one of the few "minor" rinks that has warm washroom and change facilities.

---

2014 - 2015

Dec.2 2014

The rink opened on Nov.29, closed Nov.30, reopened Dec.2.

---

2011 - 2012

Saturday Dec.3 2011

Morning: Good ice, no signage about the date of opening.

Evening, from rink user Eric HM: It's a small pad and there were at least 35 people there, mostly teens and young adults and the shinny was very fast, a couple of younger kids showed and up at one point there were 6 kids playing in a corner.

The Ice was really bumpy and was also torn up and had a lot of snow from heavy use. The south end of the rink was a little thin, though not through to the concrete. To everyone's disappointment, the lights turned off about 10:15, rather than the posted 11pm. The younger kids and a few parents stayed to play after the lights were off, since they finally had the whole rink to themselves.

---

2009 - 2010

Monday December 28, 2009

While nearby full-staffed "major" outdoor rinks have very few people at them today, this "minor" rink is hopping. There are 37 people on or beside the ice, and more pulling up in the parking lot.

This is obviously more than the shinny hockey players were hoping for, but there seems to be pretty friendly sharing of the ice on this holiday Wednesday.

I ask people there if the rink house is ever open and they say, no. However there's a light visible inside, through the only window. Presumably the city staff have to go in and out of there when they come -- once a day? -- to resurface the ice.

---

2007 - 2008

Saturday January 12

11:30am There are two city workers at the rink. One has brought his lunch. The changerooms are locked. The ice is thick, about 2.5 inches. A woman is watching her daughter skate in one corner. There are 4 shinny players on the ice. They are using a turned over garbage can as a net.

---

Saturday December 8

11am The rink has one pad with no boards. The changerooms are locked. There are two adults and three children playing shinny. There is also a teen. The teen says the changerooms are opened if a city worker is present. The ice is snowy and some of the players used shovels to clear a place to play. The teen says the rink is popular and had been packed the day before when it opened. Later that day a CELOS researcher meets the teen again at Queensway rink.

---