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The Dale Frier Memorial Rink, which has served Melfort for many years, will soon be replaced with a new outdoor rink. (Image Credit: Cam Lee/northeastNOW)
Old rink coming down soon

Outdoor rink replacement in Melfort happening this summer

May 8, 2026 | 5:13 PM

The new outdoor rink in Melfort has gone from an idea to reality. 

The Melfort Kinsmen and Kinettes are replacing the existing Dale Frier Memorial Rink, which is about three decades old and showing its age. 

Trevis McConaghy of the Melfort Kinsmen told northeastNOW a steak supper has helped raise money for the project. 

“We had about 130 people out [Thursday] night, and we raised over $8,000,” McConaghy said. “It was really nice to see the engagement on short notice.” 

Two major sponsors were also announced at the steak supper. Ripley Ford has purchased the naming rights of the new rink for $20,000, and Prairie North Co-op was also announced as a $10,000 sponsor. 

Members of the Melfort Kinsmen and Kinettes pose with Ripley Ford representatives after the dealership announced their $20,000 sponsorship at a steak supper in Melfort.
Members of the Melfort Kinsmen and Kinettes pose with Ripley Ford representatives after the dealership announced their $20,000 sponsorship at a steak supper in Melfort. (Image Credit: Ripley Ford/Facebook)

Many other local businesses have purchased board sponsorships for $2,000, and McConaghy said there have been numerous other contributions toward the project. 

The current rink will be taken down this month, and McConaghy said local contractors will be coming in to do footings and concrete work. The new rink is being supplied the company Omnisport. 

“With the new rink, it’s a much larger size, about 170 [feet] by 70 [feet].” 

The City of Melfort is also providing an unused ice resurfacer to use at the site, and a building will be constructed to house the machine. 

“Once the pads are in, we’ll be putting the building in, and Omnisport, probably in later June or July, will install the rink. So it’s going to be a very, very busy summer,” McConaghy said. 

Local businesses or residents can contribute to the project financially by contacting any Kinsmen or Kinette member.  

The current rink is beginning to show its age.
The current rink is beginning to show its age. (Image Credit: Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

The current Dale Frier Memorial Rink is on the site of the former outdoor swimming pool in Melfort, and was constructed after the pool was removed in the 1990s. McConaghy said the Kinsmen at the time thought about who to name the rink after and decided on Dale Frier,  who was a Kinsmen, a founding member of the Melfort Mustangs, and was heavily involved in the community. Frier passed away in 2006 after a battle with cancer. 

“In Dale’s legacy, we wanted to continue to have a great facility, something that met the goals of what he wanted within the community,” McConaghy said.  

McConaghy thanked Kinsmen and Kinette members and the support from the community as a whole to help make the planning for a new rink come to fruition. 

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com