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Freezeways
Notice given by: Mayor Heron
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to present a motion for which Mayor Heron gave notice on October 27, 2021.
PROPOSED MOTIONS:
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To provide freezeways as an ongoing service standard in the community, increase the base budget by $42,000. This would result in the freezeways becoming part of the service provision of outdoor skating in the winter 2022/23 and beyond.
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This motion will direct Administration to provide freezeways in the community as a part of the service standard for outdoor social ice surfaces beginning in the 2022/2023 season with the base budget adjustment of $42,000.
This annual funding will cover the development, operation, and maintenance of the freezeway amenities in the city. Freezeways are currently being piloted at Lions Park and Rotary Park but can potentially operate in other park locations in the future, sites to be determined through operational oversight and public feedback.
St. Albert currently has a strong existing service delivery for outdoor ice surfaces to the community including 14 outdoor boarded rinks and 16 social ice surfaces. In alignment with Council direction, the Lions Park freezeway was added as an outdoor ice surface for a pilot season in 2020/2021. The unique 330-metre skating trail provided a recreational opportunity in a central location within a natural park environment. The pilot received strong public interest; utilization was recorded anywhere from 15 to more than 100 users at any one time. A video was created and shared through the City of St. Albert Facebook page to share the Lions Park Freezeway experience. <https://fb.watch/8-NnQnBdKW/%20%20>
In alignment with previous Council direction, Public Operations staff are preparing for the 2021/2022 pilot season of the Rotary Park freezeway. This site will host a 350-metre skating loop and a small leisure ice. There is currently no operational funding for the operation for a Lions Park Freezeway for the 2021/2022 season.
Freezeways are an innovative way to offer an outdoor recreational skating experience in St. Albert parks. In 2020/2021, the freezeway filled an identified need for additional outdoor recreation spaces because of impacts from the global pandemic. This increased outdoor space demand has been noted by other municipalities in the province and is expected to continue in the future.
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Report Date: December 2, 2021
Author: Daniele Podlubny
Department: Recreation and Parks
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Kerry Hilts
Chief Administrative Officer: Kevin Scoble