HALIFAX – The CEO of the Canada Winter Games in Halifax says a long-track speedskating oval built especially for the event has had a surprising impact on the city.
Chris Morrissey says it’s hard to believe something as simple as a "piece of ice in the wintertime" has become so popular.
The outdoor oval is one of two major facilities built in Halifax for the Games, which start Friday.
The other is the Canada Games Centre, an aquatic and recreation facility that Premier Darrell Dexter says will become the "crown jewel of the Games’ legacy."
But it’s the oval that’s been capturing all the attention since it opened to the public in December.
Unlike the centre, however, it’s unknown whether the oval will leave behind a tangible legacy.
That’s because the original plan called for it to be dismantled after the Games.
But now Halifax Regional Council is awaiting a report on the feasibility of building and maintaining a permanent ice surface.
Andrew White, a 26-year-old from Halifax, says he’d like to see a permanent oval, if the city can afford it.
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