Editor's note: At its Nov. 22 meeting, and without further discussion, Barrie city council decided that skates and helmets can be rented, and skate sharpening services will be available, at Circle at the Centre, a pleasure skating rink at Barrie City Hall, beginning in December.
Skaters may no longer need their own skates — or helmets — at downtown Barrie’s Circle at the Centre (CAC).
City council will consider final approval Wednesday night of a motion to provide skate and helmet rentals, along with skate sharpening services at Circle at the Centre, a pleasure skating rink outside Barrie City Hall (70 Collier St.), where ice hockey is not permitted.
The pilot project could begin in December, provided by Simcoe Skate Rentals.
The rental costs would be $15 for adults, $10 for children under 10, each for two hours, helmets for $5, skate sharpening at $10 per pair and skating aids for $10, also for two hours.
“We all know that times are tight and kids’ skates are expensive,” Coun. Amy Courser said at last week's general committee meeting. “It really gives kids an opportunity to enjoy the ice skating without having to put the investment in it, as a parent.”
These services would be offered Friday through Sunday, on holidays and as requested for events, such as school outings, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and all other days from noon until 9 p.m. There would be no service on Christmas Day.
Only Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson had questions about the service.
“Is there anything we’ve set out as a measure of success?” he asked. “Or is it the willingness of (Simcoe Skate Rentals) to continue after the two-year pilot?”
Dan Bell, the city’s director of recreation and culture, said this has been tried before, in 2013, but a bad winter made it unsuccessful. He said a two-year pilot project would give the service a chance for success if one bad winter doesn’t allow the city to maintain the ice surface.
“If this pilot was successful, we would have to go to market to make sure that we get the best deal for the city if there are other companies out there willing to provide that service at CAC,” Bell said.
Circle at the Centre has a skate change room, but it’s under-utilized and a portion of it could be used for the skate rental and sharpening services, according to city staff.
Skate rentals would be provided as part of a two-year pilot project to determine if these services will be well used and to measure the need for these services on an ongoing seasonal basis.
Circle at the Centre users currently bring their own skates and city staff say a rental option may provide access to those who wish to skate, but who may not own their own skates and helmet, thereby eliminating a barrier to participation.
A corner of the skate change room, about 35 per cent of the total area, would be used to install locked wall cabinets to keep inventory on site — leaving the remainder of the room for tying skates.
Circle at the Centre skaters usually lace up on the exterior benches surrounding the ice surface, rather than use the skate change room.
Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Simcoe Skate Rentals would agree that any alterations to the skate change-room area would be submitted to the city for approval.
The city would agree to respond, in reasonable time, with approval or not of any requested alterations, which would be paid for by Simcoe Skate Rental.
The city would be compensated with 10 per cent of gross sales for the two pilot project seasons — December 2023 to March 2024, and December 2024 until March 2025.
