Few activities are associated with winter in Westman more than strapping on a pair of skates. Thanks to weather that’s finally been more conducive to ice making, local rinks have been making fast progress on preparing ice surfaces for the season.
That list includes Valleyview Community Centre, which confirmed for me today that the centre’s ice is is ready and that its rink was to open to the public at 6pm tonight. Staffed hours at Valleyview are to be 5-9pm on weeknights and 2-9pm on weekends, during which times visitors will have access to its warming building for changing. The rink, located at 77 Whillier Drive, is available outside of those times as well, when benches will be made available for lacing up.
This will mark the first full season for Valleyview’s new rink and four-season comfort building, which opened in January of this year as part of approximately $1 million in updates to the area that also included the addition of a splash pad this past summer.
The inside of Valleyview's four-season comfort building
Also opening this weekend will be West End Community Centre’s hockey rink (247 23rd st), which is to be ready for the public on Sunday evening beginning at 6:30pm. Following that it will be open from 5-10pm Monday to Friday and 2-10pm on weekends. West End’s separate skating ice is aiming for a Tuesday opening. The East End Community Centre’s brand new rink was itself working toward opening, at last word aiming for next weekend.
Eyes will no doubt also be on the city’s skating oval at the Waterfall of Lights, which though not ready this weekend appeared to be making visual progress toward opening in the not-to-distant future.