The popularity of public skating in city-owned arenas results in a couple rules being enforced… instead of the recreation department looking the other way.
Skating aids used by young, novice skaters and strollers are no longer allowed on the ice.
Department spokesperson Fred Salvador says it’s a simple matter of safety.
“None of that during regular public skating,“ he outlines,”but during the week when you see pre-school and seniors skating, there’s usually only five, ten people on the ice, we don’t mind when those things show up at that time.”
He goes on to explain why skating aids and strollers are a hazard.
“Somebody trips and falls with a stroller of a skating aid and the skating aid or stroller goes flying into another person and they fall, so it’s bad.”
Such incidents have happened in the past, Salvador says. He adds that because of frequent head injuries when skaters fall… he recommends everyone wearing a CSA-approved helmet.
However, wheelchairs cannot be banned from the ice.
Indoor skating with no admission charge was instituted when outdoor rinks had to be closed. Salvador says there’s one more session of the season coming up at the Mac.