Parks and Recreation crews have been busy getting outdoor rinks ready for the season. This weekend all outdoor rink locations, including natural ice surfaces, Bower Ponds and Setters Place at Great Chief Park, will be ready for use. 

Hockey nets will be delivered, and lighting systems will be activated at all applicable locations by Friday, December 9. The City of Red Deer is recomending that all Skaters wear their helmets. Hockey is also not permitted at Bower Ponds or the ice oval at Setters Place. 

Natural ice surfaces at West Lake and Bower Ponds will also be ready for Red Deerians to enjoy this weekend. The outdoor skating surface at Anders storm pond is closed for this season as this area is undergoing an active strategy to mitigate an unwelcome odour that arises each spring. This strategy includes lowering the water level which will reduce ice thickness, making the pond unsafe for public use. 

At Bower Ponds, concession and skate rental services are often available on-site and outdoor washrooms are available to the public daily from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. located on the south side of the Bower Ponds Pavilion. Information about the Bower Ponds Pavilion, its services and hours of operation can be found at www.bowerponds.ca.