COCHRANE—The Town of Cochrane is moving ahead with the construction of a new ice rink located in the heart of historic downtown.
Parks staff have been busy preparing the non-boarded surface, hoping to see the first users take to the ice on Friday (Feb. 5), said Brad Luft, manager of parks and open space for the Town of Cochrane.
The new ice surface is being built at the open space on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street West. The location was identified by members of the Parks Operating Team and chosen due to its proximity to bulk water storage and maintenance equipment, which is stored at the nearby Operations Shop.
Luft said the idea for the rink was brought up at the last Parks and Recreation Committee meeting and the decision was made to go ahead with the project.
This past year, he said, the Town’s outdoor facilities have seen a notable increase due to COVID-19.
The increased traffic at the other outdoor rinks, including the Tim Bannister Memorial Rink, and the upper and lower Mitford Pond surfaces, necessitated the need for the Town to expand the ice surfaces in the community.
“A couple of factors came into play, we have received more inquiries this season from the public regarding additional outdoor skating surfaces,” said Luft in an email. “The Parks team identified a need to keep the lower pond at Mitford open for the entire season due to an increase in users this year.”
While the Town does not officially track the number of users in outdoor facilities, Luft said, Parks staff have identified increased users in all of the outdoor facilities and park spaces.
“We don’t officially track the number of users on the outdoor skating surfaces but all locations have been very popular over the years,” he said.
