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City hall outdoor rink is ready, skate, go

Outdoor rink at Barrie City Hall is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., weather-permitting

The Circle At The Centre ice rink in downtown Barrie is officially open and ready for folks to take advantage of.

The Barrie City Hall outdoor ice rink opened Friday and saw a few people lace up the skates for an evening of outdoor fun.

Joe Breedon, the city’s outdoor recreation facility co-ordinator, says that despite the up and down temperatures the last few weeks, the ice was ready to go on time.

“We rescheduled the staff and built it overnight, we actually started prepping it on Tuesday of this past week and thankfully it was ready to be skated on Friday night as planned,” said Breedon. “ The crowd was hit and miss yesterday but during the day there was about five to 10 people per hour and then it ramped up a bit to about 20 per as the day went on.

"Today, is a beautiful day and the air is nice and crisp, so we’ll probably get a decent-sized crowd.”

Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (weather-permitting), the outdoor rink is a the perfect spot for families, dates and beginners to take in a relaxing skate in the shadow of city hall while music plays on the speakers.

Brent Bowser was on the ice Sunday by 9:30 a.m. with his young sons Lincoln (4) and Hendrix (3).

“Just trying to get ready for the season and Lincoln just finished up his skating lessons at NTR so we just came out to put some time in,” said Bowser. “We like coming here because we just live a block away, but also it’s very well kept and clean.

"On a Saturday it’s a perfect morning to come down and get a skate in before hitting the farmer’s market, more people should do it," he added. 

The city hall rink has heated dressing rooms to get ready in.

For ice updates, click here.