The ice is ready, the lines are painted and the Zamboni arrived on Tuesday — all to make way for opening the outdoor ice rink in downtown Penticton.
Activate Penticton said they will likely be able to have people skating starting next week.
The exterior work and the building are not complete but the ice is ready to welcome skaters, said Drew Barnes, president of Activate Penticton.
The ice cooling system allows for the outside air to go up to 10 C. That means Pentictonites could potentially enjoy multiple weeks of great skating.
Lights are set up around the rink to allow for evening skating.
Complete details about opening the rink aren’t set yet. A grand opening isn’t likely in the cards for this month because of the continued COVID concerns.
It’s been a crazy journey for the ice rink organizers who have faced supply issues due to COVID and the floods in November shutting down all road access from the Lower Mainland.
The outdoor rink was supposed to host the B.C. Hockey League’s 60th anniversary all-stars game in January but that was cancelled due to the surge of COVID cases due to the Omicron variant. It has been postponed to January 2023.
READ MORE: Ice rink delayed but not deterred
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