The City of Steinbach Parks and Rec Manager, says getting a neighbourhood outdoor rink flooded is more than just “you build it – we fill it”.

Russ Dyck says the first step to getting an outdoor rink in your neighbourhood is to put in a request with the City of Steinbach.

And then, “we look at the site just to make sure that it's, first of all, accessible for anyone in the neighbourhood. We also look at the site just to make sure it's relatively flat so that the water will not run away too much. It’s a lot easier if the ground is flat for building rinks. And finally, that they're somewhat spread out throughout the city. We wouldn't want to have 3 in one block.”

then when it comes to doing your part as a neighbourhood to have a fun and safe winter enjoying an outdoor rink, what are Steinbach residents responsible for?

“Generally, snow clearing is the biggest thing throughout the winter. Then there are the lights if they want to do that, that would be on them and obviously, it has to be done in a safe manner. They can't run cords across sidewalks. We want to help kids throughout the city have safe and fun things to do outside, so this is a great recreational opportunity.”

Dyck says, they also ask that we each do our part using some basic guidelines as we spend time on our community ODR's (Outdoor Rinks). “We don't want to have any hazards created by flying pucks. A lot of these neighbourhood rinks have smaller, younger kids that are there playing, so it's not as much of an issue, but we still encourage caution.”

And when it comes to public health orders for winter 2021, Dyck says, “this year we are fortunate to have a little more freedom for kids to go and enjoy themselves in groups. Last year, I know when it started in November with outdoor rinks, so it was limited to 5 kids at a time, but this year the outdoor limitations are a lot less.”

Now that you know the basic rules and guidelines of building and enjoying an outdoor rink in a Steinbach neighbourhood, what about the mild daytime temperatures lately and when might the water trucks start to make their way around Steinbach?

“We've actually already started the ODR at the arena. We've had some cooler temperatures here for the most part. It's mostly been below freezing, there's the odd day where it gets to zero. But the nights are still down into the double

digits, so that definitely helps.

"I mean, ideally, you know, if it's minus 15 or colder making ice goes a lot quicker, especially during the day. But stuff will freeze overnight, regardless of what the daytime temperatures are. Hopefully in the next few weeks, a few of them (the city outdoor rinks) will be ready to go.”

So, if you are building an outdoor rink in your neighbourhood and you’re interested in having the city flood it or you want to flood it yourself, either way, please contact the city to let them know, especially if the rink will be built on city property.

“We just want to make sure things are as safe as safe as possible, in terms of liability,” explains Dyck.