The Great Skate Project

Good grief, this is the 9th year of my Great Skate Project. And for my Great Skate #48, I returned to the site of Great Skate #1 : the Barbara Ann Scott rink at College Park in downtown Toronto. In 2012, I skated at the previous incarnation of this rink on a damp New Year's Day with my friend Cathy and her son H. The rink closed the following year due to a condo build. The renovated rink opened to the public in November 2019. On January 7, 2020, I headed to the rink after work to check it out. Like many new rinks in Toronto, the Barbara Ann Scott rink is now an " ice trail " that loops through a park. There are benches and landscaping that will be attractive and useful in the warmer months as well as in winter. And there are giant frogs, which is not a phrase I ever thought I'd be typing on this blog. Statues of frogs at the Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail. The rink building is architecturally impressive; you would never mistake it for a maintenance shed. ...

This marks the eighth (!?!) year of my Great Skate Project. While I may not be able to get to a new rink every weekend this winter, I’ll try my best to skate somewhere at least once a week, and write here about the rinks I visit for the first time. My friend Carrie joined me for Great Skate #47 on Saturday, January 5, 2019. Carrie hadn’t been skating in a few years. I wanted her to enjoy getting back on the ice again, so we visited a rink in Toronto that is known for its amenities: The Bentway Skate Trail . The Bentway Skate Trail opened in January 2018. It’s part of a larger public space under the Gardiner Expressway, next to historic Fort York in the west end of Toronto. Along with wintertime skating, it has art installations, music performances and other special events throughout the year. The Bentway was created by “the collaboration of a range of city-builders and experts” and it’s a neat example how private philanthropy can intersect with urban planning. The skate t...

Outdoor skating rinks are usually rectangles. That's the shape of a hockey rink, and it's also an easy shape to build and maintain. But some outdoor rink shapes are more creative. Skating trails take you on a skating journey. Some are short, some are long, but I think skating trails are always more charming than plain rectangles. Here's a list of Toronto skating trails that I have visited: Brickworks Skating Trail (Great Skate #3) This was one of my first Great Skates. Built under the beams of an old brick factory, the rink is open to the sky, but sheltered from the wind. The rink winds around "islands" of trees. Music, good seating, skate rentals and hot chocolate make this a good place to take new skaters, young skaters and visitors to Toronto. Love Crescent Parkette (Great Skate #34) This is a community rink built by people who live near the park, not Toronto Parks & Recreation. When I visited in 2015, the trail circled trees in the park. Because...

Anybody can learn to skate on any rink, but I think some rinks are better for small children and new skaters. People with short or unsteady skating legs don't need epic ice trails or rinks that are crowded with aggressive skaters. If you are teaching someone to skate , or learning how to skate yourself, look for smaller rinks where skaters can be comfortable and have fun while their skills and confidence improve. Here are the best Toronto outdoor rinks I've found for new skaters: Brickworks Skating Trail Dufferin Grove Park Giovanni Caboto Rink Greenwood Park Riverdale Park East Wallace Emerson Park These rinks share some common features: Their skating surfaces are small skating trails (so skaters don't have to cross long distances) or boarded rinks (so there is something to cling to). They have a place where you can sit down to change your skates (and if it's indoors, that's even better). They have washrooms nearby. They have separate areas or t...

My youngest niece, who is Almost Eight, joined me for Great Skate #46 at Toronto’s Riverdale Park East in the late afternoon of January 14. This is the Riverdale rink’s second time on the Great Skate list. In January 2012, was the site of Great Skate #2 . Last year, it was renovated by the city and it reopened in December. The dramatic change in its appearance qualifies it to be counted as a new Great Skate. You reach the rink by a staircase from Broadview Avenue. Previously, the Riverdale Park skating rink was a typical hamster-cage hockey pad. Now the hockey pad has a neighbouring figure-eight skating loop, landscaped with “islands” of evergreens and edged with benches. Heated changerooms are short walk away. The view westward over the Don Valley is still spectacular. Almost Eight and I arrived just in time to wait for the Zamboni to clean the ice. (That happens to me a lot.) Waiting in the cold is never the best part of skating, but those first glides on the polished ic...

"You should skate on the canal in Ottawa" is something I've been told many times since starting my Great Skate Project. I finally did on January 6, making the Rideau Canal Skateway my Great Skate #45. As a student at Carleton University, I often skated on the canal. I don't recall it having the "skateway" name then, and it wasn't named a UNESCO World Heritage site until 2007, but the canal had two things then that it's still famous for today: more than 7 kilometres of skating, with Beavertail stands along the way. Because the canal is "natural" ice (with no artificial refrigeration), the weather has a big impact on its skating season. The ice needs to be 12 inches thick before it is ready for skating. I was lucky that it opened during my Ottawa visit. My intrepid cousin Ben joined me for a morning skate on my last day in Ottawa. The sky was a brilliant blue, but the temperature was just as cold as it had been for our Parliament Hi...

My Great Skate #44 was at the Canada150 Rink on Parliament Hill, which was built as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of Canada's Confederation. With my cousin Ben on Parliament Hill, waiting for our skating session to start. Even for Ottawa, the weather on January 5 was bitterly cold, feeling like -30 C with the windchill. That didn’t deter my cousin Ben from joining me. He grew up in North Bay and is used to cold winters. We were each dressed in as many warm layers as possible. In addition to everything I’d worn for my morning skate at Lansdowne Skating Court , I wore snow pants, gloves under my mittens and earmuffs. The Canada150 Rink has a lot of rules. It’s free, but you need to reserve a pass, and you can’t book your pass more than two days ahead. The pass allows you to skate for 40 minutes. Before you can enter the rink area, a security guard thoroughly checks your bags. Hockey sticks are not allowed (which stirred up a lot of criticism but is actually a co...

My trip to Ottawa was timed perfectly for a period of frigid temperatures that had even the winter-hardy locals staying indoors. On the morning of January 5, when I skated at the  Lansdowne Skating Court , the windchill made it feel like -30 Celsius. Environment Canada had issued an extreme cold and frostbite warning. Unsurprisingly, I was the only person at the rink. What should you wear to skate in very cold weather? When it's extremely cold, the smart thing to do is stay inside. But if you must go out, here is some cold weather clothing advice from City of Ottawa : Layer 1 – the layer closest to your skin should be clothing that wicks moisture away Layer 2 - a warm insulating layer such as a sweater or sweatshirt Layer 3 – an outer layer that protects you from wind and moisture Cover as much exposed skin as possible to prevent frostbite. Mittens or gloves, hats and scarves are very important to protect against heat loss and frostbite. Boots should be warm and preferably ...

As I write this, it's bitterly cold in Toronto and even colder elsewhere. Perfect weather for Year 7 of my Great Skate Project. In January 2012, I set myself a goal: to skate at as many outdoor rinks as I can, and to share those stories on this blog. It has given me an opportunity to explore different neighbourhoods, spend time with family and friends, meet new people and get fresh air and exercise. This year I'm looking forward to skating in Ottawa, as well as at new and newly renovated rinks in Toronto, and I'll likely be skating in Orillia again too. It's going to be great.

Great Skate #42 took place on February 20, 2017 at Regent Park . It was a holiday Monday, and I had spent the previous days north of the city, where there was two feet of snow on the ground. But in Toronto, the streets were snow-free and the sky was a brilliant blue. The Regent Park rink was renovated a few years ago as part of the neighbourhood's redevelopment, which converted sub-standard social housing into a mixed-income community that includes recreation and cultural amenities. The rink itself is a basic hamster-cage hockey pad, next to a spacious and well-equipped rink house. Despite the sun and mild temperatures, the ice was in good shape. I was one of a handful of skaters, who also included a father and son doing hockey drills at one end of the rink, and a few fellows doing steady laps like me. Alongside the rink is a soccer field, and a game was underway while we skated. Beyond that, kids were shooting hoops on the basketball court. There was a definite sense that th...

After the thrill (and cost) of skating in New York City, it was interesting to skate in Toronto again and notice the differences. On January 29, I went to the rink in Trinity-Bellwoods Park in the west end with my oldest niece, who is now Ten. It was a long streetcar ride to get there, and then a fair hike from the park entrance to the rink. The rink itself is the basic standard for rinks in this city: a single ice pad, surrounded by "hamster cage" fencing, with some benches near the rink. A short walk away is the changeroom/staff office, which has washrooms. No special amenities, no music, no frills. But also, no admission fee. Child's mandatory skating helmet, Roots trackpants, Maple Leafs ad and (out of frame) Tim Horton's ads too... yep, the Great Skate Project is back home. While it's basic, the Trinity-Bellwood had everything we needed for a good afternoon of skating. There were a dozen or so skaters with us on the ice. Some were proficient skaters...

The rink at Bryant Park doesn't have the same "I saw it in the movies" cachet as the rinks at Central Park and Rockefeller Center , but it is pretty spectacular. The rink is the centrepiece of Bryant Park's Bank of America Winter Village . Chalk up a point in favour of corporate sponsorships: admission to this rink is free. (I did pay for a lock to secure my locker though.) The amenities include a spacious changeroom, a snack bar and skate rentals. Also, a platoon of penguins and snowmen that unsteady skaters can use to keep their balance. There were lots of good things about this Great Skate, but here's what I got excited about: the skating direction was clockwise. Skating clockwise is a very rare thing on public ice rinks. I asked one of the staff members if they always skated clockwise. He said that the skating direction was counter-clockwise in the mornings, and clockwise in the afternoons. So sensible. On a Friday afternoon, the rink was busy but...

Along with Central Park, the rink at Rockefeller Center is what everyone thinks about when you say "I went skating in New York City." But I did not skate at Rockefeller Center. Why? Because the Rockefeller skating rink admission fee is $25 U.S. (And that's the cheaper, off-season rate. It goes up to $32 during most of December.) I discovered that there is a limit on what I am willing to pay for a Great Skate experience. Photos were free, however.

When I had the opportunity to come to New York for a conference this week, I was very excited to be able to take my Great Skate Project international. I researched the rink options, circled them on my map, and made room in my luggage for my skates. Skating in Central Park was high on my list. I didn't realize at first that there are actually two rinks in Central Park: the Wollman Rink and the Lasker Rink . Wollman was closer to my hotel, so I headed there in the evening of January 11. (And I only got a little bit lost on the way.) Unsurprisingly, skating in New York City is a more commercial enterprise than in Toronto. The Wollman Rink admission fee (in U.S. dollars) is $12 from Monday to Thursday, and $19 from Friday to Sunday. (It's cheaper for children). A locker rental is $5 with a $6 refundable deposit, and you can rent skates for $9. A snack bar sells everything from sandwiches to cotton candy. I think it's worth it. How often do you get to feel like you'...

Another January, another year for the Great Skate Project. Since 2012, I have set myself a goal each January: to skate at a different outdoor rink each week, inviting friends and family to join me. I'm heading into Year 6 now, and still have a long way to go to cross all the Toronto rinks off my list. Yesterday I launched Great Skate 2017 at the Wallace Emerson Park rink , on Dufferin just north of Bloor. It's a double rink, separating the shinny players from the more leisurely skaters. The non-shinny rink is shaped like a comma and unfenced, a nice change from the typical hamster cage rink design. There's an indoor change room and lots of benches around the rink. I often feel like the Zambonis wait until I show up to start cleaning the ice. Yesterday, I wished that was the case. The mild weather meant the ice was very soft and it hadn't been cleaned in a while. Since my skates badly need sharpening, the combined effect was rough and slow. Probably just as well b...

Things don’t always work out like you planned. My Great Skate Project was like that this winter. Somehow it has gotten to be April and I haven’t skated at any new rinks since January. Blame the unseasonable weather, busy schedules and head colds. I think the last time I went skating was at the end of February. My youngest niece, now Six, celebrated her birthday with a skating party at Greenwood Park. It turned out to be one of the warmest days of the winter. With the sun pouring down, and temperatures rising to t-shirt weather, the ice surface got mushier and mushier. Only a small patch, protected by shade, was open. It hardly seemed worth the bother of putting on skates. And yet, that small patch was full of skaters. Shedding their winter coats, giggling as they dodged the puddles, they skated on every possible inch of that patch of ice. (Have you ever seen a picture of ducks swimming in a stretch of open water in an otherwise frozen pond? The situation on the rink that day ...

After finishing my Great Skate #36 and enjoying a sustaining slice of pizza from a nearby trattoria on St. Clair Avenue, I was ready for more skating. Why not check another rink off my list before heading home? Cedarvale Park Rink looked reasonably close on my map. Just a few streetcar stops, and then a walk along Arlington and I'd be there. Well, the streetcar part was easy. I underestimated the distance along Arlington though, and ended up trudging uphill for many blocks before finally reaching Cedarvale Rink, which is tucked in behind the Phil White Arena. When I arrived, the Zamboni was cleaning the ice, looking heroic under a stunning full moon. (My smartphone camera doesn't do it justice.) Skating on a freshly resurfaced rink on a cold evening is extremely satisfying. Cedarvale Rink has the nicest changerooms I've seen so far. They look like they were designed by Ikea.

Saturday, January 23 was sunny and cold, and I set out to add at least one new Great Skate to my rink.  I travelled by bus, subway and streetcar to the Giovanni Caboto Rink on St. Clair Avenue West. It was late afternoon when I arrived, and by the time I left, the setting sun was making the skaters squint every time they turned westward. The rink is on the edge of Earlscourt Park, and it has two ice surfaces: a shinny pad and a pleasures-skating rink. The facilities are functional, but not beautiful. There is an indoor changeroom with lockers. Like all city rinks, there was a mix of ages and skating abilities on the ice. I overhead many of the phrases that can be heard at almost every rink: Are your skates tight enough? Careful! Just try to stand up by yourself. I can't remember the last time I did this. Good job, you're skating really well. Watch me try this. I don't know how to stop. I'm cold. Do you need help with your laces? Oh no, I'm falling...

My Great Skate Project is simple: Try to skate on a different outdoor rink each week, and encourage as many friends and family members to join me as possible.  I began this project in January 2012 as a way to make the cold months pass more enjoyably. Now, five years later (!), I'm still at it. It has been a fun way to get fresh air and exercise, and to explore different parks and neighbourhoods. On January 1, 2016 my friend Cathy joined me for Great Skate #35 at the Otter Creek Centre rink .  It's a very typical Toronto rink with heated change rooms (with washrooms) and two ice surfaces (for pleasure skating and shinny). It's not pretty, but it gets the job done. There were lots of people skating. I didn't see any otters.  Cathy and I spent a pleasant hour of going around in circles in the cold, and catching up on our lives. She has been a enthusiastic participant in many Great Skates (including Great Skate #1 ). Thanks for being such a fan of my goofy project, ...

On Saturday, March 7, I enjoyed a solitary skate at a natural ice rink in Love Crescent parkette .* That was probably my last Great Skate of the season. Since then, the weather has shifted from wintery to spring-like. The sun is warm, the air is soft and you can hear water dripping everywhere. There may be a few die-hard skaters and shinny players out there, but I think most of us are ready to switch to cycling, ball hockey and other warm-weather activities. The Love Crescent rink was first built in 2013 by a group of community-minded skating enthusiasts. The street is tucked away in a neighbourhood just north of Kingston Road in east Toronto. It's not a place you pass through on your way somewhere else; you have to know where you're going to find it. The rink builders were clever. They designed the rink in the shape of an oblong donut. In the centre is a space for shinny players. Around the centre, separated by a wide snowbank, is a track for pleasure skating. There are ...