Outdoor skating rinks in the Montreal area are slowly disappearing

Ice skating enthusiasts in the Montreal area won't have as many choices for outdoor skating rinks this winter.

The Jarry Park Pond in Montreal will be closed this season as the ice is too unstable, and the city of Longueuil will close 12 of its outdoor rinks. 

Montreal spokesperson Philippe Sabourin says milder weather and rapid freeze-thaw cycles have made the ice unstable and unsafe. He says temperatures need to stay below 5 degrees for at least five days, and if the rink is based on grass, at least 10 centimetres of snow are needed. Forecasts are not calling for those conditions in the coming days. 

Other outdoor rinks, like the one at Parc La Fontaine, have yet to open but Sabourin says it's just a matter of weather and time.

"We know it's important in the winter to provide those activities for citizens… but we're waiting on our end from Mère Nature," Sabourin told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

The Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough said it decided to close Jarry Pond because the conditions of the ice last winter were dangerous for both skaters and maintenance workers. It told CBC News there were instances where the pond ice outright gave way under the weight of the equipment, needing complex towing operations. 

The borough said there's no way the rink will reopen this winter, even if weather conditions change, because the climate has been too unstable in recent years. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service data showed 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history.

In Longueuil, skaters can choose between 48 icy surfaces — down from 60 in the 2022-2023 season. A statement from the city says a labour shortage and high operating costs are also to blame for shutting down the ice. 

Mitchell Dickau, a PhD candidate at Concordia's geography planning and environment department, says we can expect outdoor skating seasons in Quebec to be shorter as global temperatures go up, both for man-made rinks and natural bodies of water. He pointed out that the Rideau Canal in Ottawa — a staple of Ottawa winter skating — didn't open for the first time last year.

Unlike indoor rinks, there are no fees to play on the ice, making them available to most people. 

"Not only is it a culturally valuable activity that we have in Canada, but it's also something that's accessible, which makes it all the more valuable," said Dickau. 

He says refrigerated rinks will likely become more common in the coming years, as they are in Toronto, to adapt to climate change.