The Lions Park freezeway is open, just in time to ring in the new year.
“We’ve been excitedly watching the freezeway getting developed,” said St. Albert resident Michael Lawton. “As soon as it was open – we were here yesterday – the kids were on it.”
Lawton and his daughters, who are seven and four, have been coming to Lions Park regularly because they love the playground. He thinks the freezeway is a great addition to the park.
“It adds something more interesting; it gives a little more diversity and terrain. These small ponds can be challenging to maintain any sort of distance, especially when you get a whole bunch of people out on a nice day like today,” he said.
Lawton said his family has always been an outdoor family, but they were never really into skating until his daughter tried it at school and decided she wanted to learn.
“And monkey see monkey do – so the younger daughter needed to learn as well. So, we just picked up a pair of skates and those little push bars give them some extra balance because I'm not good enough skater to teach. And since we got them, they've been out literally daily,” he said.
The City’s COVID recovery task force came up with the idea to add more “spontaneous outdoor recreation during the pandemic,” the Gazette reported on Dec. 27.
The idea was brought to council and unanimously passed on Dec. 21. Ten days later, the $8,000 freezeway is operational.
The freezeway is attached to a skating pond in the park and offers a looping trail for skaters to glide around.
The freezeway is open!!!! That was fast. #stalbert #t8ntogether https://t.co/JCDOXlORp2
— Cathy Heron (@CathyHeron) December 31, 2020
A popular concept
Freezeways or skating trails have become popular throughout the country and in some cases the trails are famous.
The Red River Mutual Trail in Winnipeg, Manitoba, holds a Guinness World Record for being the longest naturally made skating trail in the world. However, because it is natural, the length of the trail changes every year.
Ottawa also has a famous skate trail. The Rideau Canal, which is a UNESCO heritage site, is also home to the “world's largest skating rink.” The Rideau Canal Skateway is currently closed for the season but may open up as health and safety measures are put in place, according to its website.
Lawton said it is wonderful to change things up and it makes the area feel larger, even if there hasn’t been much added.
“It's just, it's amazing how much bigger it makes this skating area feel ... It gives the kids two different areas to skate in and play in, (and) gives a different feeling of a wide-open rink versus a narrower track. You can kind of feel like you're getting a bit of speed on or a bit of a race going. I think it's wonderful,” he said.
The city plans to build another freezeway next winter. The second freezeway will be built in Rotary Park.
