(Submitted photo/Miranda Blaber, Town of CR)

By Ben Tompkins

Public ice time

Town of Carrot River unveils public skate and ‘shinny’ schedule for upcoming winter season

Oct 6, 2021 | 5:30 PM

The Town of Carrot River recently unveiled their public skate and ‘shinny’ season that will run every Saturday and Sunday from now until March. Although the ice has been in the rink since early September, scheduling issues have forced them to book randomly slotted times every week until now.

Miranda Blaber, Community Development Manager for the Town of Carrot River, said she is excited that they finally have a season in place, as she knows how important these ice times truly are too many members of the community.

“It’s actually quite important for the community,” Blaber said. “Not everyone is a part of organized skating, yet they enjoy the activity and it’s good for their physical and mental well-being, so we feel it’s very important to maintain opportunities for everybody to access the skating rink and enjoy activity within. We’re definitely very fortunate that we have an indoor arena and we’re able to start ice in September and we’re able to run right through until the end of March.”

Blaber is most excited about the different things that the ice times will be offering, as she knows the variety of things that this will provide.

“Shinny is such a great opportunity for people who just like to play hockey that aren’t a part of an organized association and either they don’t want the commitment or don’t have the funds or time or maybe they’re just no longer the right age to play minor hockey, but they still want to come out and skate,” she said.

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“You also have parents bringing out their young kids and teaching them how to skate and spend time as a family. Even seniors come out and get some laps in as a way to stay active. It’s just a great time for people to come out and skate for enjoyment.

Now last year, there were some difficulties with their schedule and ice times as the pandemic had brought on number restrictions/capacity limits and even shut down the rink for a period of time. Now although that has yet to happen this year, all individuals 18 or older must be wearing a mask while skating and to enter the arena you must provide proof of vaccination or a negative test result.

And Blaber knows there has been some controversy for some people when it comes to that, however, she is happy to say that has yet to be the case here and that everyone has been incredibly understanding.

“Everyone has been understanding and cooperative so far,” Blaber said. “It’s been fantastic actually, people are really understanding that we’re just doing our part and following the rules put before us and trying to just make sure that we’re ensuring we have a safe place for the public.”

The 2021-22 season skate pass is on sale now and $50 for the year for an individual and $100 for a family. Public skate times are every Saturday 4:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. with shinny at 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. – 1p.m. on Sunday. These times can be modified during special events, along with added bonus times throughout the year.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8