Rink of Dreams

LeadingEdgeBoomer · #1 Posted **Oct 5, 2011, 3:29 PM**

The ground breaking ceremony took place this morning. It is projected to be in use by late December or early January.

teej1984 · #2 Posted **Oct 5, 2011, 5:41 PM**

Tax money for a skating rink right next to the longest skating rink in the world... hmm... seems like a bit of gaspillage if you ask me.

LeadingEdgeBoomer · #3 Posted **Oct 5, 2011, 5:51 PM**

The justification given for this is that it is an artificial ice rink that will be open from early November to late March even if we have a warm winter.--five months.

The natural canal ice is weather dependent and we seldom get more than 6-8 weeks of decent skating in the average season.

This morning the mayor indicates that the NCC has already shown interest in using the city hall rink for special events like figure skating performances. It is less likely you would have to cancel a scheduled performance due to poor ice conditions on the outdoor artificial ice than you would on the canal ice.

Most of the five months it will be open, it will be used for recreational skating by the public, but it will probably also be used occasionally for special outdoor events.

kevinbottawa · #4 Posted **Oct 5, 2011, 6:11 PM**

I hope the city/mayor are right in saying it will be our equivalent of Nathan Phillips Square and the Rockefeller Center. Leaders like to over-embellish in this city. The renderings didn't look that great. I usually try to be positive and optimistic but I have my doubts this time.

It's also interesting how the NCC wants to use this City rink for their purposes but they've opposed the last few projects the City wanted to do on their land.

LeadingEdgeBoomer · #5 Posted **Oct 5, 2011, 6:29 PM**

kevinbottawa wrote

Quote:

It's also interesting how the NCC wants to use this City rink for their purposes but they've opposed the last few projects the City wanted to do on their land.

With the NCC it sort of is: What is mine is mine; what is yours is mine too.

Jamaican-Phoenix · #6 Posted **Oct 5, 2011, 8:06 PM**

The NCC is a large bureaucratic entity that has a significant say in what happens in this city. Of course they behave that way.

As for the comparisons to Nathan Phillips Square and Rockefeller Centre, the renderings make it look like a typical, cheap rink. On that note, "Rink of Dreams" is a misnomer and incredibly cheesy.

I foresee a remarkably mediocre (i.e. typical Ottawa) rink coming from this, nothing more.

amanfromnowhere · #7 Posted **Oct 13, 2011, 6:52 PM**

Rink-o-dreams coming along:

by Tim Tierney

http://lockerz.com/s/146767345

amanfromnowhere · #8 Posted **Oct 13, 2011, 6:56 PM**

and here are some pics from Ottawa Sun blog:

http://blogs.canoe.ca/cityhall/rink-of-dreams/rink-of-dreams-pictures/

rakerman · #9 Posted **Oct 20, 2011, 3:44 PM**

IMG_0039 by rakerman, on Flickr

Admiral Nelson · #10 Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 3:38 AM**

Gah, I was actually rather fond of the landscaping in front of city hall. I hope this isn't an eyesore during the summer months.

Davis137 · #11 Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 4:43 PM**

I'm guessing that the concrete seen in the pictures would be the ceiling of the parking garage...

LeadingEdgeBoomer · #12 Posted **Oct 22, 2011, 10:13 AM**

I guess many of you have seen the new announcement by the Sens Foundation. They plan to build 19 more artificial ice rinks, mostly in what are described as Ottawa-Gatineau's neediest neighborhoods.More moderately priced ones than City Hall, but there must still be ongoing maintenance costs.
I guess that the City Hall project was actually meant to be the flagship of this ambitious project.

What thinkest thou?

reidjr · #13 Posted **Oct 22, 2011, 10:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

I guess many of you have seen the new announcement by the Sens Foundation. They plan to build 19 more artificial ice rinks, mostly in what are described as Ottawa-Gatineau's neediest neighborhoods.More moderately priced ones than City Hall, but there must still be ongoing maintenance costs.
I guess that the City Hall project was actually meant to be the flagship of this ambitious project.

What thinkest thou?

I think its a good move my only issue is from what i was reading they plan on building 19 over the next 5 years to me that seems like a alot in a short period of time.

RTWAP · #14 Posted **Nov 1, 2011, 9:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

The justification given for this is that it is an artificial ice rink that will be open from early November to late March even if we have a warm winter.--five months.

The natural canal ice is weather dependent and we seldom get more than 6-8 weeks of decent skating in the average season.

This morning the mayor indicates that the NCC has already shown interest in using the city hall rink for special events like figure skating performances. It is less likely you would have to cancel a scheduled performance due to poor ice conditions on the outdoor artificial ice than you would on the canal ice.

Most of the five months it will be open, it will be used for recreational skating by the public, but it will probably also be used occasionally for special outdoor events.

I think this will be helpful for the tourism industry.

Being able to guarantee an outdoor skating experience (either the canal or the rink o'dreams) should be a plus.

waterloowarrior · #15 Posted **Jan 24, 2012, 2:14 AM**

opening wednesday
http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/01/23/rink-of-dreams-opens-wednesday

kevinbottawa · #16 Posted **Jan 24, 2012, 3:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

opening wednesday
http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/01/23/rink-of-dreams-opens-wednesday

When they first announced this rink they mentioned it being our equivalent of the Rockefeller Center and Nathan Phillips Square. I dunno.

Dado · #17 Posted **Jan 24, 2012, 3:44 AM**

No effing way does it have a fence around it.

The perimeter should be a stepped low wall that people can sit on to put on their skates or just watch the goings-on, roughly like Nathan Phillips Square. What it shouldn't look like is a hockey rink - we should be going for the open frozen pond/lake/quarry look, not the boarded-in hockey rink look.

Alas, it would appear that the "fence it in" mentality wins again.

Uhuniau · #18 Posted **Jan 24, 2012, 3:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

When they first announced this rink they mentioned it being our equivalent of the Rockefeller Center and Nathan Phillips Square. I dunno.

All things being relative, and this being Ottawa.... meh, close enough.

waterloowarrior · #19 Posted **Jan 24, 2012, 4:27 AM**

• Video Link

gjhall · #20 Posted **Jan 24, 2012, 1:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dado

No effing way does it have a fence around it.

The perimeter should be a stepped low wall that people can sit on to put on their skates or just watch the goings-on, roughly like Nathan Phillips Square. What it shouldn't look like is a hockey rink - we should be going for the open frozen pond/lake/quarry look, not the boarded-in hockey rink look.

Alas, it would appear that the "fence it in" mentality wins again.

Rockefeller Center has a fence around theirs...meh.