A new outdoor skating rink in downtown Penticton had its official opening, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022.

(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)

A new outdoor skating rink in downtown Penticton will be free to the public forever, Mayor John Vassilaki promised during a ribbon cutting ceremony today.

The rest of city council, including Jake Kimberley who was elected in 2018 but stepped down due to health reasons, was also part of the ceremony.

“I’m here because I wanted to be part of history,” Andrea Robertson said, who was among the first to skate on the new rink.

“New ice always feel amazing – especially for a beginner like me,” she said.

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Robertson sees the rink as a benefit for everybody of all ages, and she expects many people will rediscover Penticton’s downtown because of it.

John Durant was at the ribbon cutting, and he feels like the rink was a perfect addition to the city.

“Before they even started talking about it we though, you know what, that’s what we need here – an ice rink,” he said.

Durant was impressed by the quality of the construction and how open of an area it’s in.

“We’re so happy it’s here, I can’t wait to bring my grandkids here – they’re going to love it, just absolutely love it,” he said.

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The new rink is the project of Activate Penticton, a local non-profit group. President Drew Barnes hopes it will bolster the local hockey culture.

“With the (Penticton) Vees, and minor hockey and the hockey school (Okanagan Hockey Group) – our downtown needed something with some vibrancy and I thought this was perfect,” Barnes said.

Around 30 people attended the ribbon cutting but only a small handful brought their skates.

The rink is around 40 m by 14 m in size and has a refrigeration system that keeps the ice solid up to 10 Celsius.

It is located at 107 Main St. between city hall and the Gyro Park bandshell. It is open everyday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It might stay open later after lights have been installed.

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