Fake ice ordered out of Charles Clark Square, real ice back

Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis has ordered the synthetic ice removed from Charles Clark Square.

A spokesperson at the mayor’s officer said Francis “was not satisfied” with the fake surface. He ordered real ice be put back in the outdoor rink.

Larry Horwitz is head of the downtown business association and told CBC News he's hoping to see more people downtown soon on the ice.

"Some of the shops around this area would be filled with customers with their skates in tow," he said. "It's been disappointing, but things take awhile. I'm glad that we finally realized that business must go on and people must make a living."

He hopes skating can begin on Family Day weekend.

Otherwise, he's diplomatic about how the city handled the situation.

"A chance was taken. You've got to be innovative," he said. "In the future, they're going to decide what to do in terms of artificial ice. I think it's a great attraction. It means people can skate all year round, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and we'll have to see on that."

Boards will be erected Wednesday night and the refrigeration unit fired up. Flooding will begin Thursday morning.

The city spent $56,000 on the synthetic ice.

Charles Clark Square was never officially opened for skating this winter.