With the last two weeks looking a lot like winter, you might be wondering when outdoor ice rinks will start popping up around Airdrie.

Archie Lang, Manager of Parks and Public Works with the City of Airdrie, said they are in the process of preparing the rinks, but this weekend's warm weather has presented some challenges.

"This time of year, we're trying to just freeze in a base, so you'll see the water trucks going around and watering the areas in just so that we can freeze in a base so that we have something to build from, but obviously if the temperatures are going to be above freezing, that ice is going to melt and run away on us."

Lang said they hope the weather will get a little colder so that the rinks can be prepared for the winter.

"Generally speaking, as we get into December the rinks are up and running. Certainly that's what we're aiming for, we're hoping that in November the temperatures will drop back down again so that we can flood those areas, have them freeze up so that we can establish those rinks once again for the entire winter."

In the meantime, you'll need to be patient about getting on the ice. Lang said it is absolutely not safe to be out on Airdrie's natural ice surfaces.

"We do monitor all of the areas that are public skating areas, and all of the ice for that matter, and we do not recommend that people go on out until we have eight to ten inches of solid ice, and we're not even close to that."

The City does regularly monitor ice conditions and post updates to their website for the public to see throughout the winter.

 

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