Spring is officially here, which means the 21st season of a local recreational landmark has come to an end.
The Prince George Outdoor Ice Oval is now closed, but reports 14,525 visitors between Nov. 30, 2019 and March 18, 2020, marking 113 days of business, 82 of which were open days to 31 days of closure.
The latest numbers point to a 14 per cent increase in skaters, which had exactly 2,000 more than the 2018-19 winter season, and averaged almost 180 visitors per day.
Last year, there were 12,525 skaters over 96 days, 75 of which were open.
According to the Outdoor Ice Oval Society (OIOS), the warmer temperatures make it difficult to maintain the ice, but continue their call for refrigeration equipment that can chill the oval and extend the season.
“It was a wild season for winter weather with everything ranging from blizzards and -40 to unseasonably warm temperatures at times,” explains spokesperson Dick Voneugen.
“If we had refrigeration, we wouldn’t have been closed for 31 days, and our skater visits could have gone up by [31x177] 5,487.”
The oval also saw 500 additional athletes for the Prince George Iceman and Icewoman marathons in early February.
You can visit the Outdoor Ice Oval’s website for more information.
