City of Saskatoon to review funding for outdoor community rinks

Saskatoon’s community associations are looking for more money to maintain their outdoor skating rinks.

Currently, there are 52 outdoor rinks across Saskatoon. Those rinks have to compete for about $20,000 in city funding.

Wes Campbell serves as the rink co-ordinator for the Sutherland-Forest Grove community association.

He noted a lack of funds has made it tough to keep up the association’s three outdoor rinks.

He said the rink in Forest Grove needs a coat of paint for the boards, replacement mesh for the nets and replacements for the lights, which are beginning to dim.

Ward 1 Coun. Darren Hill said city council will review its funding arrangements.

“We just want to make sure that we are supporting the community associations as much as possible,” he said.

Campbell said he’s encouraged by the review, even if it’s likely that everyone won’t get exactly what they want.

“It would be amazing, of course, for each association to get $1 million and just go hog wild and rebuild everything all at once. But that’s not really a realistic expectation,” he said.

– With files from JT Marshall.