The ice is scheduled to be removed from the Access Communications Centre on April 1 after one more free skating session. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Senior and preschool skate

City of North Battleford to wrap up free public skating this week

Mar 29, 2021 | 4:29 PM

The city of North Battleford is offering their final free skating sessions for preschool and senior-aged residents, Wednesday March 31 at the Access Communications Centre (Civic Centre) and Thursday April 1 at the Don Ross Arena.

Wednesday’s free skate will be from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m., while Thursday’s will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., concluding the public skating season.

The Access Communications Centre will then turn off their ice plant April 1, while the Don Ross will keep their ice in until April 12 for a figure skating camp over the Easter break.

Community programmer with the City of North Battleford, Siobhan Gormley, said they had about as good a turnout as they could have possibly asked for this season for the public skating, considering the COVID-19 capacity restrictions in place this year.

“We had a maximum of 30 on the ice this year, due to the provincial guidelines, but in years prior we’d attract between 90 and 100 people some Saturdays,” she said. “So our numbers were down, but we did have the maximum of 30 pretty much every Saturday at the Access Communications Centre.”

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With a number of other sports and activities cancelled due to the pandemic this year, Gormley said having the support of their sponsors which allowed them to continue to offer free public skating for residents, was incredibly valuable.

“Especially this year it was very important to offer an activity residents could enjoy with their family and get out and exercise,” she said. “It’s a great program, and due to the support of those nine service clubs we can offer it free to the residents of North Battleford.”

With a capacity limit of 30 skaters permitted per session, masks remain mandatory for the final two skating sessions of the year, and helmets are recommended. All children must be accompanied by an adult and sign-in for contact tracing purposes is required upon entry into the facility.

To read more about the free skate season this year, click here.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1