Several members of a Mississauga neighbourhood are fighting to stop one of the city’s only three public outdoor ice rinks from being demolished, but municipal officials say it’s too late to save the rink because expansion plans for the neighbouring community centre have already been approved.
“It’s very rare to have a rink like this,” said Joe Galati, pointing to the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre refrigerated outdoor rink, which includes fencing and a cover.
It’s located on Gulleden Drive, near Burnhamthorpe Road East and Dixie Road.
“Me, along with the community and everyone who comes to this rink was absolutely devastated,” he added.
“A lot of the people in the community are very upset.”
Galati has started a Change.org petition that has received more than 5,500 signatures as of Monday night.
“Save Mississauga’s only outdoor covered hockey/skating rink from destruction in March 2021 by investing in capital upgrades to keep it open every Winter, all day every day (like Celebration Square), offering for FREE, skating, stick & puck and shinny programs,” reads the online the petition.
The rink is one of only three refrigerated outdoor rinks in the city of Mississauga, whereas Brampton has eight and the City of Toronto has more than 50.
“I think it really highlights a problem we have here with a lack of available ice,” said outdoor rink user Kal Simpson, adding that the space would leave the entire neighbourhood without a space to skate during the pandemic.
“I’ve been trying to get on this rink for several weeks and it’s booked solid seven days a week. You have to wake up super early in the morning and book that time when you want it.”
The City of Mississauga said the removal of the outdoor rink is due to renovations to the neighbouring community centre, which would include a swimming pool, therapeutic pool, fitness centre and additional program spaces.
The Commissioner of Community Services for the City of Mississauga, Shri Lichterman, said the ice rink’s popularity has only increased because of the pandemic.
“This year being an exception, it is typically fairly underutilized — so we determined the community would benefit a lot more from the amenities we’re bringing at the community centre.”
Residents also argued that there was minimal public consultation before the rink’s removal was given the green light.
Lichterman said there were plans for community consultation in early 2020, but the pandemic hit just as city staff were planning on bringing the details to the public — so a ‘modified’ version of public consultations were conducted last Fall.
She adds that the renovation plans for the community centre have gone too far ahead to be stopped now.
“While it doesn’t look like much is happening, all of the designs have been completed and the site plans completed,” said Lichterman.
“We are getting ready to start the construction as soon as the winter season ends, so we’re going to start in the spring.”
She adds the community centre will be closed for two years when renovations begin in late March of 2021.
Lichterman also said the city is open to the idea of building another outdoor ice rink to replace the one being demolished along Gulleden Drive.
“If the demand is there for the outdoor rink, we will certainly pursue that,” she said, adding there will be public consultations this year on the redevelopment of Gulleden Park, which is across the street from the outdoor rink.
“The public will be able to provide their input on whether they would like a refrigerated outdoor rink at that park.”
But for area residents, like Galati, there is still outrage that the rink will be closed with no firm plans to replace it.
“Bottom line, they never had a plan to replace the rink,” said Galati. “That’s not good planning, it’s a reactionary government and the city deserves better.”
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