The City of Lacombe has relocated one of their ice surfaces to a more festive location.
The Lacombe Memorial Centre is now home to a skating pond set amongst the seasonal Christmas lights along 50 Avenue.
“We hear all the time that people want to see these skating surfaces,” Community & Economic Development Manager Guy Lapointe said. “The City maintains four rinks, one outside the area, Cranna Lake of course, one by Royal Oak and then the last one was typically Les Walker. Out of the four, Les Walker was under utilized so to send the staff out to that area to make a space not being used didn’t seem like a good idea. “
Given the under use of Les Walker, the City decided to move that maintained location to the LMC right in the heart of downtown.
“I think it will be a dynamite attraction for the city. I think people will be excited to use this space,” Lapointe said.
The City also is able to more easily maintain the surface given it is situated directly beside pathways and sidewalks they already are required to maintain throughout the winter.
“Visually it looks great and it being accessible to pedestrians is fantastic. It is right in the heart of our downtown and I think people are excited to use it. I can tell you there has already been a tremendous response from what we have heard,” Lapointe said.
The surface is having a soft launch this week and will improve as time goes on.
”I skated on it myself. It is a little bumpy right now but certainly still usable if you are used to outdoor use. The intent is to build it up a little more over time and continue to flood it to bring it up to a better level,” he said.
Lapointe said the pond shows the creativity of Lacombe residents.
“I think people really appreciate the effort put forward on these unique initiatives that we are able to bring to the community,” he said.
The City wants to remind citizens that the pond is for skating and not for ice hockey due to the lack of boards, nets and the smaller size of the pond.
“The hope is that over time, we may find a way to expand the space but it is probably smaller than what people are used to. It isn’t tiny but a little smaller,” he said.
todd.vaughan@lacombeexpress.com
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