Looking for an activity to enjoy during the winter and holiday season? There are a handful of outdoor ice rinks and skating trails in Toronto that will get you moving. Plus, each of these spots are free. Yes, totally free! Happy skating!
Here are free outdoor Ice rinks & skating trails In Toronto to check out.
The Bentway
The Bentway transforms into a unique urban winter wonderland with the opening of a 220-meter skate trail under the Gardiner Expressway. Ensure to check here before you head over to the unique figure-eight skating experience to ensure the rink is open to skate!
Nathan Philips Square
Every winter the Nathan Phillips Square water fountain turns into an outdoor ice rink. It’s a vibrant, active space in the heart of Toronto to enjoy skating with your friends and family this season.
Evergreen Brick Works
Experience the magic of one of the best free skating rinks in Toronto at Evergreen Brick Works. The Evergreen Brick Works outdoor skating rink weaves through snow-covered gardens under exposed beams from the roof of the old brick factory. The rink is open from December to March, weather permitting.
Greenwood Park
Greenwood Park has a covered outdoor artificial ice rink that is available for skating in the winter, as well as a pleasure ice skating trail located beside the rink! You can pick between the rink or the trail – or take some time skating on both!
High Park
High Park is home to many wildlife and plant species – and come wintertime, an outdoor skating rink! You can enjoy a leisurely skate or participate in some shinny. Check their rink hours here, as the leisurely skate times differ from shinny times.
Christie Pits Park
Historic Christie Pits Park, located on Bloor West is hosting winter outdoor skating on its artificial rink for yet another year! Make sure to check the skating schedule before you head out.
Mel Lastman Square
Mel Lastman Square’s outdoor skating rink will be open for the season all the way until March 27th! The rink seems to always be lively with people skating and having fun.
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Located south of Dundas Street West on Gore Vale Avenue is the Trinity Bellwoods Park artificial skating rink! The rink is pretty spacious and a great place to learn how to skate if you’re a beginner since there are walls to hold on to if need be.
Colonel Samuel Smith Park
If you’re more of a fan of skating trails than a classic hockey-like skating rink, check out Colonel Samuel Smith Park‘s figure-eight skating-trail rink this year! It’s located along a stretch of wooded shoreline in the Kipling and Lakeshore area in Toronto.
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The Bisha Hotel just got an awesome addition. The luxury destination has transformed its fourth-floor terrace in Toronto into an outdoor skating rink and winter chalet exclusively for its guests.
Now, you can have the perfect staycation and enjoy the outdoors with a gorgeous view!
Kaitlin Narciso
The Stella Suite has been transformed into the Bisha Chalet that’s available during the winter months, which also makes it a great spot for Valentine’s Day.
The skating rink and chalet are only available for guests who stay at the Bisha Hotel in Toronto.
As a guest, you’ll get a two-hour ice rink time which is booked on a first come first serve basis. Be sure to bring your own skates too!
Once you’re done skating around, you can enter the chalet suite to sip on hot chocolate, coffee, and tea with a selection of pastries from the French Made cafe. What’s better than that?
The Bisha Chalet is open everyday from 12-8 p.m. until March 1, weather permitting.
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Since it’s wintertime, the activities that you can do outdoors are more limited because of the cold weather. Although, a very fun and scenic activity that is enjoyed in the winter is ice skating. There are so many skating trails and paths in Toronto and the GTA that are great to get your body moving and breathe in some fresh air. Be sure to check when each individual rink opens for the season.
*Please abide by all COVID-19 safety precautions.
Here are the best skating trails to go to in Toronto & the GTA.
MacGregor Point Provincial Park
The ice skating trail at MacGregor Point in Port Elgin is a premier winter attraction it also offers skiing, snowshoeing, camping, and other winter fun.
Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh Skating Trail
Located in Bala, this trail is open from December 27 until March Break with weather permitting. Skate a 1.2 km loop around 12 acres of cranberries. With forest on one side and cranberry beds on the other, this is a one-of-a-kind experience. Every Saturday night (weather permitting) 400 tiki torches are lit for Light the Night night skating.
The Bentway
The Bentway transforms into a unique urban winter wonderland with the opening of a 220-meter skate trail under the Gardiner Expressway. It’s open seven days a week from 12-8:30 pm starting December 18.
Greenwood Park
At Greenwood Park, you can enjoy the skating trail or the covered outdoor rink, or both. Either way, you’re sure to have a blast.
Arrowhead Provincial Park
The 1.3 km Ice Skating trail winds through the thick Muskoka forest and is a winter experience like no other.
Colonel Samuel Smith Park
This park is located along a stretch of wooded shoreline in the Kipling and Lakeshore are. It’s a skating path that’s in the shape of a figure-eight, plus, it gives skaters a great scenic view.
Barbara Ann Scott Skating Trail
The five-meter-wide trail loops through College Park and is open from 10 am until 10 pm everyday.
Dieppe Park
Dieppe Park Complex is located on Cosburn Avenue just east of Greenwood Avenue. It has an outdoor ice rink and a skating path to enjoy.
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Torontonians, you can now add another skating rink to your winter activities list! A new rink will open this month in an old and familiar spot.
The Harbourfront Centre partnered up with Synerglace to build a temporary rink underneath the concert stage.
The previous Harbourfront Centre rink won’t be open as it’s still dealing with the infrastructure issues that kept it closed last year.
You’ll be able to tie up your laces and hit the ice from November 19 until March 6, 2022.
The new winter spot will have an ice loop that goes through the “south orchard” and connects back to the main rink. You’re sure to have a stunning view the entire time!
If you plan on checking out the area, be sure to adhere to all public health guidelines and all of the rules set by the Centre.
Happy skating!
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Go skating with family or friends for free on Monday, September 3rd for some long weekend fun from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Community Skate Rules:
• All skaters 6 years and under must wear CSA approved hockey helmets. We also recommend that all beginner skaters over the age of six wear CSA approved hockey helmets for their protection.
• When on the ice, all patrons must wear skates. No shoes are permitted on the ice. When wearing skates off the ice, skate guards are recommended for safety.
• Skaters are not permitted to use cell phones or portable music devices while on the ice.
• To enter or leave the ice surface, patrons must use the gate in between the team benches.
• Food or beverages are not allowed on the ice surface.
• For the privacy and protection of our patrons, photography and videotaping is restricted. For special arrangements, please contact staff.
• Alcohol, abusive language and aggressive behaviour are not permitted in the facility. Failure to abide by this rule may result in a suspension from the program and/or facility.
• The Mattamy Athletic Centre is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Please do not bring valuables into the facility.
Featured Image: Instagram/@filmbysj
Source: Blogto.com
The Bentway and Build for Bokma present CITE, a summer-long celebration of skateboard arts and culture, which all launches this weekend. The Bentway Skate Trail will also officially open for the season, from June 30th until August 12th and you can also expect lots of fun events going on all summer long.
Things are all kicking off this weekend, with the reveal of a “new art installation/skatepark featuring Semblance, skateable sculptures conceived and constructed by Build for Bokma which create a 3D terrain for boarders to ride on, as well as a site-specific art installation by artist and skateboarder Pascal Paquette.”
During the weekends, CITE will provide a variety of workshops like learning to skateboard, building skate sculptures, videography, screen printing and designing skateboards – plus a speaker series. The Skate Trail with the Semblance sculptures will be open and available for skateboarding every day from 10 am until 9 pm.
CITE will bring new audiences to The Bentway, and serves to support Toronto’s new skateboard strategy to integrate skateparks in the future development of the city.
“CITE, co-produced by The Bentway and Build for Bokma and presented by Vans, with media partner VICE. The Bentway is supported by the City of Toronto and the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport).”
Here’s the schedule for the Canada Day long weekend:
OPENING WEEKEND SCHEDULE
June 30, 2018 (10 AM – 11 PM)
- DJ sets by The Remix Project alumni
- A marketplace of local skateboard merchandise
- Pop-up film screenings from TUFF (Toronto Urban Film Festival)
- Open skate
- The Bentway Beer Garden featuring tasty treats from SPiN, live graffiti, and more
July 1, 2018 (10 AM – 11 PM)
- Local DJ sets
- Live beats by Toronto-based DJ and producer Beat Sampras (7pm) and LA-based DJ and producer Peanut Butter Wolf (8:30pm)
- A marketplace of local skateboard merchandise
- The Bentway Beer Garden, Ping Pong, and other outdoor games
- Skate demos and best trick showcase
- Open skate
- Meet and greet with the pros, including Vans athletes Leon Chapdelaine, Una Farrar, Etienne Gagne, Annie Guglia, and Dustin Henry
Source: TheBentway.ca
Featured Image: Instagram/@thebentway
Are you going to check out The Bentway this summer? Let us know in the comments!
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The iconic and beautiful waterfront at Ontario Place has been fully renovated and is now ready to embrace the holiday season. From December 8th to March 18th, the West Island will be filled with activities and attractions for “Winter at Ontario Place”. When the snow starts falling, this will be a perfect spot for all the best Instagram photo-ops. Head over with a group of friends or your significant other for a day of fun. Make sure you dress warmly (hat and gloves required) – we can guarantee it will be chilly.
Get cozy at the newly reopened Cinesphere to watch IMAX movies that will change year-round. The Winter Light Exhibition will be open daily and feature the highly anticipated, 12-foot-tall, freestanding icicle silo. The skating rink will be open Friday evenings and all weekend long, with skate rentals available. Sit back and relax on their warm log seating and Muskoka chairs. Get romantic by the bonfire at dusk, overlooking the stunning shoreline. Enjoy the shimmery lights that will adorn the pathways throughout Ontario Place.
Image: Instagram/@ontarioplace
Featured Image: Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport
Are you interested in checking out Winter at Ontario Place?
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The Toronto Star is reporting that not only will you be able to drive over the Gardiner, you’ll soon be able to skate underneath it.
As you may have heard, The Bentway project has been launched, and it’s an attempt to transform the vacant area underneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into usable public space. As reported by The Star, a 250-metre skating trail is under construction below the western part of the expressway. The skating trail is slated to be opened for early 2018 and should be an interesting draw for Torontonians looking to enjoy the city in a new way.
The trail will be a figure-eight shape running the length of four “bents” that support the expressway. The great thing about the space is that when it’s not a skating rink, it’s slated to be an asphalt surface that can be used for various wheeled sports, running and, walking.
The Toronto Star reports that there will be an opening party for the space sometime in January, and we will keep you updated with event times and location when it happens. In addition to that stay tuned for exact skating rink open dates and special skating events.
Source: Toronto Star, UrbanToronto, The Bentway
Image Source: Public Works