Outdoor skating rink coming to Ontario Place this winter

Details about the new, fully rejuvenated Ontario Place continue to emerge this month as the province moves forward with its rebranding of the site as a hub for Toronto sports and culture.

This weekend, the iconic Cinesphere celebrated its official reopening with a series of public film screenings – the first time in five years that the cinema was used outside of festivals or private events.

The IMAX theatre had been already been upgraded with a new 60-foot by 80-foot curved screen and improvements to the theatre's lobby, lighting and acoustics – but there's much more to come for Ontario Place as a whole, according to the government.

The site will soon have a brand new, synthetic ice skating rink for the public to enjoy, among other features. If all goes as planned, it'll be ready for use by December.

Excited to welcome everyone back to the #Cinesphere! Regular screenings at the iconic theatre kicks off @OntarioPlace this weekend! pic.twitter.com/CQNKJtIfgY

— Eleanor McMahon (@EMcMahonBurl) November 3, 2017

A concept rendering from the province's original vision for Ontario Place shows a skating rink running under the former Atlantis Pavilions. We don't yet know, however, if that's where the rink will actually be built.

A synthetic skating rink could go pretty much anywhere, and given that it's scheduled to open in less than a month, it seems unlikely that the province would have time to construct something like this over a lake.

It would make sense to place the synthetic rink somewhere within the newly-opened Trillium Park, which boasts a large area of open space in front of the main pavilion. There are, however, numerous other open areas on the old grounds where a rink could be constructed.

Winter at Ontario Place will run from early December to mid-March, according to the province, and will feature "a winter light exhibition with illuminated installations by local artists," as well as other activities.