Giant ice rink coming to Mosaic Stadium

Riderville is becoming Iceville for the next few months.

Regina Exhibition Association Limited has turned the field inside Mosaic Stadium into a super-sized outdoor rink.

“We started this at the start of December and we’ve had a crew of about 24 working around the clock,” said REAL CEO Tim Reid.

The ice surface is 165 metres long and 65 metres wide —  about 110,000 square feet of ice. While preparations are still underway, about 350,000 gallons of water have been used.

“A traditional arena is 17,500 square feet so it’s a lot bigger than a normal NHL rink,” Reid said.

Reid said they were planning on holding a winter festival but COVID-19 caused that to be postponed, so this was the idea they came up with to make use of the facilities.

And Reid said it’s a special feeling to be on the rink under the lights.

“You might have one of the most spectacular experiences you could ask for. When the lights are on and a little bit of snow is falling, it really is like your very own snow globe,” Reid said.

There will be a limit of 30 people allowed on the rink at a single time and people will need to book times online.

Reid said the budget for the rink was about $200,000, but thanks to sponsor and volunteer support, it won’t cost REAL anything.

“We had everything from the fire department lending us hoses to plumbers to carpenters coming down to help us out with our ideas,” Reid said.

It will be free to skate on the rink, but Reid is encouraging people to bring down donations for the Regina Food Bank. As of now, pucks and sticks won’t be allowed on the ice but Reid said that could change depending on public health restrictions.

There will also be a modified Zamboni for the rink.

The ice rink will be available seven days a week from noon until 8 p.m. The first day of public skating will be New Year’s Eve and will run until Feb. 28. A group of up to 30 people will be able to pre-register for a 45-minute time slot on the Evraz Place website.

Reid said they are working on having skate rentals but admits it’s a tough thing to do due to COVID-19.

There will also be employees at the rink to ensure people are following guidelines, including mask use on the ice.

“Our policy is masks in any of our facilities. If not wearing a mask is important to you, then we will just ask you to join us when it’s safe to not wear a mask,” Reid said.