Robson Square, Vancouver’s only free outdoor skating rink, opens for the season

Vancouver’s only outdoor skating rink officially opened for the season on Saturday.

Skating at Robson Square is free, however skaters can also make a donation to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Money raised from the donations goes to the hospital’s creative arts program, which uses art to help comfort kids during their treatment at the facility.

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Skates and helmets can be rented on-site at the rink.

The provincially owned rink was the city’s first outdoor public skating facility and opened in 1982.

After maintenance issues forced its closure in 2000, the Robson Square rink was given a $2-million renovation and reopened in 2009 as the city geared up for the 2010 Olympics.

The rink’s season runs until Feb. 28, 2019. It is open for skating Sunday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. as well as Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.