With an artificial, synthetic ice rink now up and running behind city hall, the City of Kingston is hoping it could make up for what has been a mild winter season.
Located behind the city hall, by the amphitheater at Springer Market Square, the rink first opened to the public on April 4. Installed in partnership with the Downtown Kingston BIA, the rink is open until April 24. Skaters can access it daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For Downtown BIA’s executive director, Marijo Cuerrier, installing the rink at the square was the right call.
“Springer Market Square is known for its skating rink (with) high pedestrian counts. We wanted to make sure that lots of people could see it and try it,” she said. “If you look around the rink you can see QR codes so they can tell the city how their experience was like.”
According to Cuerrier, while the rink won’t reopen again later this year, there’s opportunity for it to be a staple of the city’s springtime fun.
“This past winter sparked it. We had the potential to have 20 weeks of ice skating at Springer Square. But this year we had 10,” she said.
On its website, the Downtown BIA notes that synthetic ice can be used in all seasons. Cleaning or maintenance of the rink will be done using a specialized cleaner and a mop or squeegee, along with the occasional lubrication.