January 2022, Fairview In Focus
You have probably skated on the Flavelle ice rink, but did you know it has only been around since 2018!?
In 2018, Melody Eisenbart and Robyn Boldt had the brilliant idea to create an outdoor rink for families to use, since the arena was frequently unavailable to the neighbourhood for free skating.
Neither of them had made an outdoor rink before, so the first one was a bit of a gong show. The first rink was not as big and beautiful as it is today. In fact, it was actually set east to west, which ended up being a bit of a disaster, as it was on a slope. So, the water started running down the hill creating an amazing ice slide. It was also pretty cold outside: -30. The liner was frozen and hard to work with, which made it tricky to keep it down as the water was being poured on. The liner kept popping up and making holes in the ice! Overall, it ended up being a good time, and a decent skate even if it was a bit bumpy.
Since then, the Flavelle rink has become a great social gathering place for neighbours to skate, hang out and make new friends.
Now there is a whole crew of people that come out to clear the space (special shout out to Mr. Snowblower), set up the boards, lay the liner, and get the water poured. It takes the rink crew about 2 hours to get everything ready.
Last year, a small secondary rink and a firepit were added and they will be back this year!
Come by anytime for a skate, or just to enjoy the fire. If you are interested in being a part of the rink crew, come by on Friday nights with a jug of water to help fill holes and hang out!
If you or someone you know would like to be featured in Found in Fairview please email Michelle.stensrud@fairviewcommunity.ca
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