Winter Recreation Facilities Being Readied

An earlier start to winter weather has enabled Steinbach Parks and Recreation staff to get to work on outdoor rinks sooner than last year.
    
Department head Russ Dyck says flooding is underway. "We have started our outdoor rinks a little bit earlier than in most years. If the temperatures stay low enough, we hope to have a good start on them this week."

Work has started on the outdoor rink next to the Centennial Arena(right). It should open some time next week. Dyck expects they will start on the pleasure rink next to the T.G. Smith arena any day now and it will open in a couple of weeks. In addition there are four ice rinks in various neighbourhoods around Steinbach.  He notes, "The neighbourhood usually gets involved if they want to put up any boards and so forth but we'll go in and help them build it and flood it throughout the winter. The neighbourhoods look after snowclearing etc. and, if they want to put up any lights, that's their prerogative as well."

Meanwhile, Dyck says the toboggan hills at L.A. Barkman Park and A.D. Penner Park are open and in use. "People have been sliding down the hills for the last few weeks already. We had a little bit of a lull in between when some of the snow melted but, now in the last week, we've had some more snow so that activity is also starting. It hasn't been super busy just yet but it is definitely a little earlier than most years. Some years we haven't had much snow to slide on until nearly Christmas time."