You'll Need Cold Cash to Use Ice Oval

Saturday, January 17, 2009 06:48 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The outdoor ice oval is expected to open this afternoon. In a release put out by the CN Centre late yesterday, it was announced the Oval will be open for public skating today at 1:00 for a two hour session, to be followed by a public speed skating session that starts at 3:30.

( night shot of ice oval, courtesy P.G. Ice Oval Society)

There are a couple of new things in place, including a user fee, ( kids under six skate free) and there is a new code of conduct and ice rules. The fees can be paid in single sessions, punch cards and season passes.

According to the release, a strong team of "staff and volunteers are hard at work at the oval to ensure a safe and positive environment. The ice maintenance crew have been trying some new flooding techniques and it looks like the ice will be great."

While all the details are supposed to be available on the Oval website, we weren't able to find any information on fees or operation schedules on that site,( which refers the reader to the City's website) or on the City's website ( which refers the reader to the ice oval's site).

The new rules and fees follow an incident last year which saw a confrontation between some hockey players and a speed skater. The ice oval hasn't yet opened this year as the Cty and the Ice Oval Society developed fees, schedules and addressed security issues to minimize risk to varying user groups. The process has taken so long that long time ice oval volunteer, Dick Voneugen resigned his position as ice maker saying these matters should have been discussed in the down season. He also believes the new schedule will make it too inconvenient for many who normally would use the oval. "We wanted it simple so anyone could say, hey it's a nice day, lets go for a skate."

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Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2009 06:48 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: bowzone_mikey on January 17 2009 8:43 AM

5 bucks for 2 hours ... thanks but no thanks ... Its cheaper to goto the colusium or better yet .. the many comunity associations ice surfaces around town ...

I will pay 5 bucks each time i use a comunity association rink before i would pay to use the "Oval"

Posted by: Resident on January 17 2009 9:14 AM

Charging for using the oval will certainly decrease the number of people using the facility.
If the intent of the ice oval society is to decrease public participation in using the oval and reserve it for speed skating only they are well on their way to being successful in this endeavour.
How about equality. 100 pleasure skaters get 2 hours and 20 speed skaters get 2 hours. Seems the society is not all that good at math.
I would hope the city council takes a look at the tax dollars going into this facility and address the issue of spending our tax dollars to satisfy a special interest group.
Add me to the growing group of people who will not be at the oval this year.

Posted by: gold_rush on January 17 2009 9:24 AM

Wow, look at that oval, its a piece of art. It pretty much like the one in Richmond but without a pine beetle roof. Suck it up, pay the 5 bucks and enjoy some skating. Everyone can spend money on double doubles no problem. Those people work hard to give us great ice. Change the hours around a bit, but 5 bucks is no big deal. Look at Otway Ski trails. Thats 10 bucks, you dont see anyone complaing about the drop in price there. Great facilites arent free people.

Posted by: bowzone_mikey on January 17 2009 11:24 AM

gold rush ... do you know how much Canada Olympic park in Calgary charges the public to use their oval .... about 5 bucks ...

the Oval in PG is notoriously and consistantly the worst outdoor surface in town ....I have been on smoother curling rinks ... I doubt this year will be any differant ... Comunitee assoc ice is the best usually the best for the conditions simply because the volunteers with the Comunity associtions always take pride in what they are doing ... A little pride goes along way.

Posted by: He speaks on January 17 2009 11:39 AM

The ring looks pretty awesome, just get those three trouble making kids from playing hockey on it. It is a leisure rink and speed skating.

No rink in the middle of it. put it on the side somewhere.

Posted by: RUEZ on January 17 2009 11:53 AM

This is just a means of keeping pickup hockey games off the oval. If they only wanted a speed skating rink they should have been more upfront about that in the beginning. Maybe they should have just kept the old one, I don't remember hearing about problems like this before.

Posted by: rattlesnake on January 17 2009 12:09 PM

"We wanted it simple so anyone could say, hey it's a nice day, lets go for a skate."
And thats the way it should have stayed.

Posted by: BCRacer on January 17 2009 12:19 PM

About time the users pay...
not sure of the cost but
there is where choices come in...

Posted by: MrPG on January 17 2009 12:19 PM

The IOS can charge 5 bucks if it wants. I don't think many people will actually use the facility because of this, but maybe they want less people. Less people = less chance for confrontation.

Posted by: Harbinger on January 17 2009 12:44 PM

If I brought a bucket of gravel instead of paying money would they let me use the oval? Where did that gravel go?

Posted by: kagee on January 17 2009 5:05 PM

Harbinger, the gravel went to the CN Intermodal yard.

Posted by: Born in BC on January 17 2009 5:46 PM

I am all about user fees and fiscal responsibility but this is one instance where a free service to allow people to get out for a skate would be a great idea.

Its so hard to get out and do anything in Prince George and now going to the rink with the kids is going to cost $20 or so!? Newsflash: $20 is alot of money to alot of people. Cant the city provide any worthwhile free services?

Posted by: Jem on January 17 2009 7:03 PM

Where is it that you can actually go for free these days, we pay taxes for everything and if there aren't taxes well then we will slap user fees on it, where can you go and have fun without taking your wallet for a change.

Posted by: BCRacer on January 18 2009 4:38 AM

Jem the parks are wallet free...

Posted by: lifesucks on January 18 2009 4:56 AM

Well now that you have pointed that out they woun't be free for long, now that the city has wind of it, user fees coming to a park near you.

Posted by: gus on January 18 2009 8:32 AM

The Rotary skatepark is free.

The tennis courts next to it and the ones in the neighbourhoods scattered around the City are free.

The baseball parks? (don't know since I do not use those)

The lacrosse box on Massey.

The stadium at Massey for walking/jogging/running.

The streets for driving, riding bikes, walking.

Cranbrook hill for extreme mountain biking.

Downtown streets for parking up to 2 hours.

The rivers for kayaking and river boating.

Concerts at the bandshell in Fort George Park.

Waterspray Park.

Are the Soccerfields on 15th free?

Recycling bins on 18th

The air we breathe.

Posted by: lostfaith on January 18 2009 12:39 PM

Posted by: Jem on January 17 2009 7:03 PM
Where is it that you can actually go for free these days, we pay taxes for everything and if there aren't taxes well then we will slap user fees on it, where can you go and have fun without taking your wallet for a change.

Alone in your bedroom ;-)

Posted by: BCRacer on January 18 2009 2:54 PM

No, soccer fields are reserved for use by the special few.....go on the field and they will arrest you and charge you with tresspass, so I have been informed....notice the gates are all locked when the special few are not useing the fields....

I don't know about the ball parks, not going to try it for fear of the above....
so I'll take my grandkids to the parks....