Outdoor ice rink at Aylmer marina
Sophie Demers
Gatineau’s first refrigerated ice rink is at the Aylmer Marina. Various Gatineau elected officials, as well as representatives from the Recreation, Sports, and Community Development department gathered at the new rink located in the parking lot next to the Robert-Middlemiss Pavilion.
“The goal is to prolong the pleasures of winter. We know that with climate change, the weather is changing more and more,” said Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette. "It's a great opportunity to enjoy winter sports. The Robert-Middlemiss Pavilion will be accessible to put your skates on and thanks to the Access Gatineau Plus card, residents will be able to rent skates or other sports equipment for free to have fun on the ice rink.”
After the mayor’s remarks, attendees watched as Océane Desforges-Rioux, a celebrated local figure skater who has competed at the provincial level, stepped onto the ice to officially inaugurate the new rink. The rink will be open until March 15.
“I think that for the people of Aylmer, it's really a new way of appreciating the marina and the Parc des Cèdres,” said Vincent Roy, newly elected councillor for Aylmer. “This allows for more residents to use the marina in all four seasons and that's important, especially in a community like ours, which has seen a strong growth in recent years. The rink also adds to Aylmer's sporting infrastructures.”
Christian Riopel, assistant director for Gatineau's Service de loisir, des sports, et du développement des communautés, provides more technical details on how the refrigerated ice rink works.
The rink's refrigeration system cools and circulates fluid along the ice mats that make up the rink, ensuring high quality ice. The equipment is energy efficient and has a low noise level. The fluid used, Calcium chloride, is not harmful to the environment if it were to leak onto the ground.
The rink is located near the Robert-Middlemiss Pavilion due to its energy demands. It requires 600 volts and 400 amps for optimal operation. The total cost of the rink for the season is $360,967.45. This is part of a pilot project that will last two years. Gatineau hopes to gauge interest in the rink, learn what is good and what can be improved before hopefully adding more rinks around Gatineau.
