The community gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Bonnyville’s first outdoor skating rink.
On Saturday, Jan. 19, members of the community hit the ice at the Apergy Community Skating Rink.
“We’ve been so excited to get this rink up and going,” expressed C2 marketing manager Sue Phillips. “It’s been open since just before Christmas, and now we can let the community know it’s here, ready to go, and part of the community.”
The outdoor rink is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until midnight, and is free to use.
MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk noted the facility has been a request from the community since he’s been on the C2 board.
“When the rink came available down in Canmore... it was a heck of a deal, and we jumped on it. Every day we see a ton of people out here, obviously people wanted it, and it’s being used,” he said.
Phillips added, “We’re very happy to have it, and it’s really been used a lot over the last few weeks. We want people to know it’s here and to come out and love it.”
Bonnyville firefighter Lt. Stephen Stone was on-site keeping attendees warm with a bonfire.
Stone’s kids Gabby and Elijah Stone were among the first to skate on the rink.
“If they got cold, they could come into the wonderful shack to stay warm... They had their helmets, which were insulated and their neck warmers. If their hands got cold, they could come in and warm up,” Stone explained.
Gabby told her dad she wanted to spend her birthday at the rink, celebrating the grand opening with the rest of the community.
“It was a lovely time, and it would have been better if it was a little less windy and cool. Other than that, I think it’s really fantastic and I’m really happy for the community to have the outdoor rink,” expressed Stone.
Sawchuk noted the rink wouldn’t have been possible without the support of community groups and businesses.
He said, “We know that it’s a tough environment out there for a lot of companies, and to get the sponsorship, everybody’s pulled in the reigns a bit, but these companies are still giving back to the communities, which is huge.”
“We had a lot of community support and we wanted to get everybody involved,” added Phillips.
