Toronto: The City of Toronto is bringing back its popular Welcome T.O. Winter program in full, frosty force. Throughout the next two weeks, Welcome T.O. Winter will open 52 outdoor ice rinks across the city, offering family favourites including free public leisure skate, shinny, leisure figure skate, instructional learn to skate and beginner instructional hockey programs as well as new ringette and women’s shinny opportunities.
New this year as part of Welcome T.O. Winter, the City is introducing a ringette pilot program at six locations. Participants six years old and older can drop in and try an exciting sport rapidly gaining popularity. Ringette is a non-contact sport played on an ice rink with a ringette ring and ringette stick. Pre-enrollment is not required and, beginning in early December, participants will be able to borrow equipment from select locations.
Thirty-eight ice rinks will open tomorrow and operate until March 19, 2023. On Tuesday, December 3, 14 additional rinks will open, operating until February 26, 2023. Two locations, Dufferin Grove Park and Ledbury Park, will open once capital construction work is complete. Outdoor rinks will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Permits and school bookings are also available. Natural ice rinks will open in January 2023, weather permitting.
The City is also increasing the number of locations and time slots offering women’s shinny. This winter, 29 locations across the city will have time slots available for women’s shinny.
More information on skating and ice programming in the city, safety requirements, locations and hours of supervised skate, are on the City’s Skating webpage: www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/recreation/skating-winter-sports/public-leisure-skating/.
This year, the City, in partnership with Desjardins Group, is introducing a new mobile Skate Lending Library at select outdoor ice rinks. The program supports residents and families who are learning to skate by providing access to skates, helmets and skate aids. The program will include:
• 150 skate aids, including two accessible skate aids
• 60 pairs of skates and 60 helmets added to the City’s skate lending library
• A dedicated, customized van will travel to different locations
The program is free for all and no reservations are needed. There are many ways to enjoy winter in Toronto. Through the City’s popular natural ice rinks program, residents and neighbourhood groups come together every year to build and maintain natural ice rinks in parks across Toronto. The City supports communities by providing access to water, snow shovels, lighting (where available), public signage as well as instructions on how to build and maintain rinks.
As part of Welcome T.O. Winter, many of the City’s park amenities will remain open throughout the winter season:
• More than 1,500 parks
• 28 toboggan hills in neighbourhoods across Toronto
• 54 artificial outdoor ice rinks and skate trails
• Seven snow loops for walking and snowshoeing at four of the City’s golf courses
• Skiing and snowboarding at Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre, 4169 Bathurst St.
• 143 locations with park washrooms available through the winter months including 52 park washrooms, 47 outdoor rink washrooms and 44 locations with portable toilets
• 70 outdoor table tennis and 60 outdoor chess tables.