Every outdoor rink operated by the city has closed for the season, with the exception of Lacombe Lake.
In a news release issued late Tuesday afternoon, the city announced that almost all 27 sheets of ice at the 19 different locations around town were shuttered on Monday. That means no more outdoor skating or games of shinny until next winter.
The outdoor rink season usually runs from mid-December until the end of February.
It was a difficult year for the city’s outdoor rinks, especially for Lacombe Lake. Before the city could even open the large pond for skating, it was forced to announce its closure after someone chopped several large holes into the surface of the ice, making it unsafe. That took place just before Christmas.
The lake only opened to skaters last month. Once this year the city was forced to close all the rinks temporarily after warm weather and plentiful sunshine softened ice surfaces citywide. The closure only lasted a day.
The city said Lacombe Lake will remain open on a day-to-day basis and that residents should check the city’s website at www.stalbert.ca/outdoorrinks or call 780-459-1568 for updates.
Even though the weather is still cool, the city also warned that ice on the Sturgeon River, the city’s stormwater ponds and local lakes are unsafe for walking and skating and that residents should avoid them.
