Skating...Outdoors!

The snow and some cold weather has finally arrived and whatever you might think about winter, the snow and ice does provide A LOT of outdoor opportunities.

Dovercourt currently has spots in all of its outdoor skating programs (one is pictured at right).  Programs start on Saturday and Sunday, January 14th and 15th, and come in three categories: Learn to Skate with a Parent, Learn to Skate 3-5 years and Learn to Skate for 6+.  While lessons can occasionally be delayed becuase of weather, I can say first hand that they are a great way to get outside and see the kids (and parents) in your neighbourhood.  Not only that, but they get you comfortable with using outdoor ice which is a skill in and of itself.  I will also say that the instructors were far better at teaching our kids to skate than we were!. 

Fisher Park has what I'm told is an awesome hockey development program as well as ita own skating and power skating sessions though it is likely too late to register unless you're extremely lucky (though for the record, registration is at the Community Centre office (613) 798-8945 located in the Fisher Park School, 250 Holland Ave. Payment by cash or cheque.)

Information on the outdoor rinks below is taken from the City of Ottawa site at http://ottawa.ca/residents/parks_recreation/seasonal/fw/outdoor_rinks/locations_en.html and is current as of December 28, 2011.  The site offers details of all City rinks.  Some rink operators (eg. Westboro) have accounts on http://www.ottawarinkconditions.ca/ and, if so, you can check there to determine if a rink is open and what the conditions are.  Please note that according to the City Rules of Conduct, hockey sticks, pucks and balls are not permitted on ice surfaces without boards and children under ten must be supervised by someone over the age of sixteen.

• Champlain Park, 140 Carleton,, rink with puddle, field house w/ washrooms, lights, boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 6 to 9 pm, Sat: 11-6, Sun: 12 to 6; (slightly changed from last year);
• Dovercourt (see Westboro, below);
• Fairmont, 265 Fairmont, double surface with trailer and lights, Supervised Mon to Fri: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Sat, Sun: 1 to 9 pm;
• Fisher Park, 250 Holland, Ottawa, Rink with puddle, Trailer, lights and boards (listed as having no supervision though that seems odd if there is a trailer);
• Iona, 223 Iona, Double surface, Field house, washrooms, lights, no boards, Supervised Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri: 6 to 11 pm, Wed: 4 to 9 pm, Sat, Sun: 11 to 5 pm;
• Laroche, 52 Bayview, Rink with puddle, Field house, washrooms, lights and boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 6 to 10 pm, Sat: noon to 9 pm, Sun: 1 to 5 pm
• McKellar Park, 539 Wavell Ave., double surface, lights, no boards, field house w/ washrooms, supervised Mon to Fri: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Sat, Sun: noon to 6
• Westboro (aka Dovercourt), 411 Dovercourt Ave., rink with puddle, trailer, washrooms etc. in recreation centre, lights, boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Sat, Sun: 10 am to 3 pm. Great family sledding hill at same location.
• Woodroffe, 180 Lockhart Ave., rink with puddle, field house, washrooms, lights, boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 5 to 9 pm, Sat: 11 am to 7 pm, Sun: noon to 6 pm

Winter, Hockey, Skating....Indoors

Note: for information on outdoor rinks see this earlier post: http://kitchissippikids.blogspot.com/2010/11/winter-hockey-skating-outdoors.html

When I go to J.A. Dulude Arena, just on the other side of Carling, I go back in time to what seems to have been pretty much the same arena experience when I was 10 or so.  The same look, the same feel, the same smell!   I remember running around the bleachers, chanting cheers at the players, skating to '70's music and the smell of french fries drowned in vinegar.  I grew up in a really small town and frankly there wasn't that much to do so we made the most of what we had....often....and it was good.

So take your kids out for a skate,  lace up your own , circle around the oval and see what you and the ice still have in common.  I'm still working on my stops...

The neighbourhood's two main ice rinks are J.A. Dulude Arena and Tom Brown Arena.  Take advantage of the public skates, sign your kids up for skating lessons (through the City) or the West End Hockey League (WEHL) or rent the ice to host a birthday party or just to become the neighbourhoods favorite parent!  Registration for next year's hockey season starts in the spring.

The City does have 1, 3, 6 month and 1 year skating passes (child, adult or family) available at reduced rates for those who are frequent skaters.

JA Dulude Arena

J.A. Dulude, technically outside Kitchissippi, is located at 941 Clyde Avenue.  Basically just turn south off Carling right beside the big Canadian Tire Store (Cole Avenue), continue for a couple of minutes and you'll see Dulude on the left.  It's open year round and does have a canteen and skate sharpening.

There is also a big sledding hill - Carlington Hill - which is officially sanctioned by the City and which (if you want some trivia) was a downhill ski operation with tow lift for many years.  It's also a great hill if you want a climb (any season!).

Tom Brown Arena

My experience with Tom Brown is limited to the line-ups of the H1N1 clinics so I won't comment much, though like Dulude it had that same old-style arena feel...a good thing.  It's located at 141 Bayview Road, just off Scott Street and is open year round.  It offers skating lessons, public skates and hockey, hockey clinics and pick-up hockey.

Winter! Hockey! Skating! ...outdoors

OUTDOOR RINKS IN KITCHISSIPPI

This is what the Westboro/Dovercourt rink looks like now (or a week ago, =  )).  But in a month or two it will indeed be a rink with a "puddle", the name affectionately given to the ice surfaces without boards or defined edges.  And I'm winterizing my blog with wintery details for k'kids, with more to come....

Dovercourt has some great outdoor skating lessons that don't fill up nearly as early as the City indoor rink sessions (which I always miss).  Fisher Park has what I'm told is an awesome hockey development program if you're not quite prepared for the full commitment of the West End Hockey League, the other popular option.  It does however fill up extremely quickly.  Fisher Park also has its own skating and power skating sessions.  Registration for the winter session starts on Monday November 15th is in person only at the Community Centre office (613) 798-8945 located in the Fisher Park School, 250 Holland Ave. Payment by cash or cheque. For the hockey you have to be there bright and early. 

Information on the outdoor rinks below is taken from the City of Ottawa site at http://ottawa.ca/residents/parks_recreation/seasonal/fw/outdoor_rinks/locations_en.html.  Information below is current as of November 6th, 2010.

Champlain Park, 140 Carleton,, rink with puddle, field house w/ washrooms, lights, boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 5 to 9 pm, Sat, Sun: 10 am to 5 pm

Dovercourt (see Westboro, below)

Fairmont, 265 Fairmont, double surface with trailer and lights, Supervised Mon to Fri: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Sat, Sun: 1 to 9 pm

Fisher Park, 250 Holland, Ottawa, Rink with puddle, Trailer, lights and boards (not sure whether it has supervision)

Iona, 223 Iona, Double surface, Field house, washrooms, lights, no boards, Supervised Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri: 6 to 11 pm, Wed: 4 to 9 pm, Sat, Sun: 11 to 5 pm

Laroche, 52 Bayview, Rink with puddle, Field house, washrooms, lights and boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 6 to 10 pm, Sat: noon to 9 pm, Sun: 1 to 5 pm

McKellar Park, 539 Wavell Ave., double surface, lights, no boards, field house w/ washrooms (though not sure of fieldhouse hours), supervised Mon to Fri: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Sat, Sun: noon to 6 pm

Westboro (aka Dovercourt), 411 Dovercourt Ave. , rink with puddle, trailer, washrooms etc. in recreation centre, lights, boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Sat, Sun: 10 am to 3 pm.  Great family sledding hill at same location.  Picture at right is of Dovercourt's outdoor lessons.

Woodroffe, 180 Lockhart Ave., rink with puddle, field house, washrooms, lights, boards, supervised Mon to Fri: 5 to 9 pm, Sat: 11 am to 7 pm, Sun: noon to 6 pm