The City of Weyburn began work on Tuesday to install an outdoor skating rink on a vacant downtown lot, and council gave approval to a city resident to also install an outdoor rink in a city park area.
Andrew Crowe, director of leisure services, told council on Monday night the City had reached an agreement with John Hulbert Construction to put up a skating rink in the lot at the corner of Second Street and Souris Avenue.
As shown in the photos, taken on Wednesday, the rink will be installed and maintained by City staff, and it will be oval in shape with an area in the middle to hold picnic tables and possibly a firepit, with Christmas lights to be added. Only skating will be allowed on this rink, with no hockey allowed, said Crowe.
The City also advised that Souris Avenue will be closed in that vicinity as city crews begin the work of preparing the lot for the rink. Souris Ave. will be closed from Second Street to the alley between Second and Third Street from 8 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. each night, and will be in effect until Thursday, Nov. 28, weather permitting.
The installation and availability of the rink will depend on the weather, noted Crowe, and more details about this feature will be released later.
“We’re really excited for this space,” he said.
“It will be a great attraction for the downtown,” said Coun. Mel Van Betuw, who added he’s received many good comments about the Christmas lights which were added to the Pioneer Woman statue by the Leisure Centre.
Mayor Marcel Roy pointed out this will dovetail nicely with the River Park Sparkles event, set to kick off on Monday, Dec. 2 at River Park at 7 p.m.
Earlier at the meeting, council gave approval to resident Ryan Birnie to once again put up a skating rink at Gordon Miles Place park in the city’s northeast corner. He has been installing this rink since 2016, and the City has determined that the rink is not hurting the park space the rink is located on each winter.
This year, Birnie is proposing to also install a warmup shack, as the garage space he formerly had provided will not be available this winter.
The warmup shack would be temporarily placed next to Birnie’s fence, and will be removed in the spring. The Building and Planning department has no problem with the shack being installed, as long as it is less than 100 square feet in size, and is located at a minimum of six inches from any property line.
The Fire Department has also set a guideline for the power source for the shack, as Birnie wants to include a small 110-volt heater inside. Any wiring leading to the shack must be permanently attached, and hard-wired to a breaker panel, and must be protected from potential damage.
Council was told that the plan is to use the same power source as is used for the lights for the rink.
Under the City agreement with Birnie, he must adhere to all conditions set by the City or the City can order the removal of the rink or shack at any time.
