City to kick tires on keeping one ice rink open year-round

Arena Two at the Cold Lake Energy Centre which was used for the first time over the 2018-19 season.

Cold Lake is exploring options of keeping one recreational ice rink open at the Energy Centre in June and July.

The city has been approached with requests of summer hockey camps and wants to gauge interest from user groups in the area further.

However, the decision would require additional plumbing work on either of the rinks at the Energy Centre.

“Council wants administration to work on kicking the tires to see how much demand would be out there from hockey schools from tryout camps from people just wanting to rent, whether it’s men’s league or whatever for May, June, and July,” said Mayor Craig Copeland.

Copeland added that this item would come to council in the fall during budget deliberations.

The earliest summer ice could happen is 2020.

This year recreational ice was taken out at the North Arena on March 15 and Imperial Oil Place Arena on March 25.

The second arena at the Energy Centre has its last booking for recreational ice May 31, city notes said.

Administration says they’ve already received a request to have to ice ready for August 1.