Thunder Bay proposes major reduction in outdoor rinks as all but 8 face the chopping block

Thunder Bay, Ont.'s hockey players could have fewer options to hit the ice outdoors if a new city proposal goes through.

Citing underutilization, city administration recommends shutting down 31 city-owned outdoor rinks, leaving just eight open.

"On an annual basis, we track user rates on the rink program," said Cory Halvorsen, manager of parks and open spaces. "We use our five-year average count to essentially inform decision-making about potential service level reductions in either the type of rink provided or the locations. And that's all spelled out in the the outdoor rink policy."

Halvorsen said the reviews have shown many outdoor rinks are underutilized and the city had notified users that if that didn't change, the rinks could be shut down.

A final decision has not yet been made — that will come from city council through the municipal budget process — but currently, the city is recommending closing 31 of the rinks, leaving eight operating (North End Park, West End Park, Carrick Park, and Marina Park on the north side, and Northwood Playfield, Dease Park, Vickers Park Trail, and West Thunder Park on the south side).

Halvorsen said the city does its user counts in a fair way; counts aren't done if the temperature is colder than –20 C, or if the rink hasn't been plowed or is otherwise inaccessible.

Closing the rinks would save $365,000 per year, the city said.

Nick Parry, a hockey coach in Thunder Bay, said he was "shocked" when he heard the city was considering closing so many of them.

"Being a born-and-raised Thunder Bay resident, for the past 30-some-odd years, I've been using the outdoor rinks," he said. "As a kid, pretty much every kid in the city had a rink that was well within walking proximity.

"Quite frankly, in my youth days, I don't know what I would have done without having a rink available within walking distance."

Parry noted outdoor rinks generally aren't suitable for organized hockey, as they're often too small. However, he said they're valuable for players working on their skills on their own time.

The city is seeking public input on the proposal, with a survey available online.

Halvorsen said the results will be compiled and presented to council in September.