The outdoor rink at Alberton Township’s Millennium Park is about to be covered.
The township has received $500 thousand from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to put a roof overtop.
Northern Development Minister and chair of the NOHFC, Greg Rickford, made the announcement during a visit on Tuesday.
Mayor Mike Ford says it was something long considered to help extend the skating season.
“We are in the wide openness here. Our ice season is always so short. Our earliest ice out was February 2020, and that’s just the power of the sun melting the ice,” says Ford.
“There’s not much usable time for an outdoor skating service as it is, so anything to the lengthen of the season.”
Millennium Park rink in Alberton township, March 12, 2024. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting
Ford says it also allows for other events on the ice surface without the threat of the weather.
“We’ve gone Easter egg hunts, and the weather doesn’t cooperate. We’ve attempted concerts in the summer, rained out. (A roof) gives us the ability to plan events a little better.”
The installation is expected this summer.
Ford says it should take about two weeks to complete.
The rink was installed in 2000 as a Millennium project.
New playground equipment went in several years later, and an assessable walkway was attached to the rink shack in 2017.
Upgrade to the shack took place two years ago.
Millennium Park playground in Alberton township, March 12, 2024. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting
