Penticton’s outdoor public skating rink plans put on ice

Plans for a new outdoor public skating rink in Penticton’s downtown core have been put on ice until 2021.

Activate Penticton, the proponent behind the project, will appear as a delegation at a city committee meeting on Nov. 17 to inform city council that the project has been delayed.

“We are looking to expand the project and include a new (heated) washroom and storage building,” Penticton resident Drew Barnes said in his request to appear before the committee.

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“This is due to the existing temporary washrooms that are not heated and will not suffice for the new proposal,” he said.

The public skating rink plan was introduced to council in December 2019, construction was to start in July with a grand opening this December.

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The rink will be located in the under-utilized parking lot south of the Gyro band shell near Penticton City Hall.

The fully refrigerated skating rink with be approximately 40 metres by 14 metres in size and will include spectating and eating areas, as well as food truck vendor locations and nighttime lighting.

The skating rink will be operated from December to February and can be used for other group activities or as a food truck court in the off-season.

Graham Fraser, the owner of the Penticton Vees, is “looking forward to leading the community in the building of this rink,” the Vees said in a January tweet.

The group plans to take on operating costs and liability.

Other outdoor public skating rinks are located in Vancouver, Kelowna, Vernon, Nelson, Langford, Prince George, and Whistler.

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