Kipling resident builds impressive outdoor rink

Kipling’s Alan Batters hasn’t built your ordinary backyard rink.

For one, the surface is huge. Photographs show the icy expanse covers an area larger than the footprint of homes in the background.

Speaking to the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Monday, Batters said he first built the rink last year for a winter carnival.

“We didn’t know what we were doing at all. But (we) had some help from some people and it went over so good last year that we were like, ‘We’ve got to do it this year now,’ ” Batters said.

The rink comes equipped with lights and painted lines. There will be also fire pits spaced out. Batters maintains the ice with a resurfacing machine.

The location is also special. The parcel of land was where the town hospital once stood. It is where Batters’ son Benjamin was born. It is where Benjamin died from brain cancer in 2013.

When the hospital was torn down, Batters expressed interest in buying the land. He turned it into a park.

“It’s actually the perfect silver lining ending, I’d say,” he said.

He hopes skaters can lace up on Friday but that will depend on the weather.

“(It’s) very tricky building ice this year because it’s been so warm and it’s going to be like 5 (degrees Celsius) tomorrow. So right now, it’s kind of stagnant,” Batters said. “We’re just letting it sit … (We’re) hoping for the colder weather.”

Kipling is about 145 kilometres southeast of Regina.