The last couple of weeks of below zero weather has allowed city staff to flood and make ice on all the rinks located in municipal parks.
But the city wants to tell residents that skating or playing a game of shinny isn’t the same as it used to be before the coronavirus pandemic.
In fact, shinny isn’t allowed.
Depending on which rink you frequent, users are now limited to a maximum capacity of five or 10 people on the ice at a time.
Other restrictions include wearing a mask while skating and a ban of hockey sticks and pucks.
Troy Stubinski, Kingston Public Works operations manager, says the protocols are based on provincial legislation and consultation with KFL&A Public Health.
The ban on sticks and pucks comes from a provincial order that bars team sports, Stubinski said.
“You can find that right in the provincial order,” he said. “So together, we decided that that was the best practice.”
Public Works doesn’t traditionally have a worker at every city park rink so he’s asking for the public to support and follow the new rules.
“What we’re looking for, is for everyone to do their part and help us and make sure they read over those protocols that are in place and simply follow them.”
Stubinski said staff will be making regular trips to the area rinks and will use a balanced approach to enforcing the rules.
“We do have staff who will be going around to the rinks to help educate the users of these rinks about the protocols that have been put in place.”
He said he’s so far not aware of any serious incidents or situations in which public works staff have had to call police.