***Our online survey is now closed. Thank you for participating and sharing your input.***
The City of Thunder Bay Outdoor Rink Program currently operates 39 outdoor rink sites across the city.
As a part of the program, regular monitoring, participant counts, and citizen engagement are conducted.
As a part of the 2023 budget process, a number of Outdoor Rink reductions were proposed. Should the proposal be accepted, the number of rink sites in the city would be reduced from 39 sites in 2022/23 to eight in 2023/24. Click links to see maps showing the 39 existing sites and the eight proposed sites.
If the proposal is accepted, beginning in the 2023/24 season the Outdoor Rinks Program will operate the following rinks:
| North | South |
- North End Park
- West End Park
- Carrick Park
- Marina Park
| - Northwood Playfield
- Dease Park
- Vickers Park Trail
- West Thunder Park
|
Background Information
2019/20 Community Survey
In 2019/20, a public engagement survey was conducted to gauge overall community satisfaction with the Outdoor Rink Program. 232 participants responded.
The survey results indicated strong community satisfaction with the current rink program. It also showed that while users do value having a rink close to their home, the majority of users currently drive to the rink and are willing to drive 3-6km.
Outdoor Rinks Policy
The Outdoor Rink Program is directed by the official Outdoor Rink Policy which establishes target use rates for each rink site and outlines a process for reducing service levels for underperforming rinks that involves a phased reduction – ex. Boarded Supervised or Community Supervised would become Boarded Unsupervised; Boarded Unsupervised would become Unboarded Unsupervised; Unboarded Unsupervised would be eliminated.
As dictated by this policy, the City bases rink service level recommendations on 5-year trends in the data collected through its regular monitoring and participant counts.
2022/23 Outdoor Rinks Review
Prior to the 2022/23 season, 11 outdoor rink sites were identified as being consistently, well below target rates. Rink users and surrounding residents were given notice that if usage levels at that site did not increase by the end of the 2023/24 season, the rink would (upon council approval) have its service level reduced.
Proposed Rink Eliminations
As a part of the 2023 budget process, a $365,000 reduction in the Outdoor Rinks program through the elimination of 31 outdoor rink sites was proposed. Many of the proposed sites have 5-year average usage rates below the targets specified in the Policy and meet the criteria for service level reduction. The proposal does however rapidly accelerate the phased reduction process by immediately eliminating the underperforming rinks.
***Our online survey is now closed. Thank you for participating and sharing your input.***
The City of Thunder Bay Outdoor Rink Program currently operates 39 outdoor rink sites across the city.
As a part of the program, regular monitoring, participant counts, and citizen engagement are conducted.
As a part of the 2023 budget process, a number of Outdoor Rink reductions were proposed. Should the proposal be accepted, the number of rink sites in the city would be reduced from 39 sites in 2022/23 to eight in 2023/24. Click links to see maps showing the 39 existing sites and the eight proposed sites.
If the proposal is accepted, beginning in the 2023/24 season the Outdoor Rinks Program will operate the following rinks:
| North | South |
- North End Park
- West End Park
- Carrick Park
- Marina Park
| - Northwood Playfield
- Dease Park
- Vickers Park Trail
- West Thunder Park
|
Background Information
2019/20 Community Survey
In 2019/20, a public engagement survey was conducted to gauge overall community satisfaction with the Outdoor Rink Program. 232 participants responded.
The survey results indicated strong community satisfaction with the current rink program. It also showed that while users do value having a rink close to their home, the majority of users currently drive to the rink and are willing to drive 3-6km.
Outdoor Rinks Policy
The Outdoor Rink Program is directed by the official Outdoor Rink Policy which establishes target use rates for each rink site and outlines a process for reducing service levels for underperforming rinks that involves a phased reduction – ex. Boarded Supervised or Community Supervised would become Boarded Unsupervised; Boarded Unsupervised would become Unboarded Unsupervised; Unboarded Unsupervised would be eliminated.
As dictated by this policy, the City bases rink service level recommendations on 5-year trends in the data collected through its regular monitoring and participant counts.
2022/23 Outdoor Rinks Review
Prior to the 2022/23 season, 11 outdoor rink sites were identified as being consistently, well below target rates. Rink users and surrounding residents were given notice that if usage levels at that site did not increase by the end of the 2023/24 season, the rink would (upon council approval) have its service level reduced.
Proposed Rink Eliminations
As a part of the 2023 budget process, a $365,000 reduction in the Outdoor Rinks program through the elimination of 31 outdoor rink sites was proposed. Many of the proposed sites have 5-year average usage rates below the targets specified in the Policy and meet the criteria for service level reduction. The proposal does however rapidly accelerate the phased reduction process by immediately eliminating the underperforming rinks.
