Ontario Place skating rink

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.

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.

Lead photo by

Ontario Ministry of Tourism


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Sports & Play

MLB hitting coach under investigation over shocking video shot on Toronto flight

Here's how much it costs to see a Leafs vs Bruins playoff game in Toronto

Toronto marathon shutting down roads for two days instead of one this year

Toronto Raptors player banned for life from NBA

Here's when the amusement park on the Toronto Islands is opening for the summer

Toronto Blue Jays fan in wheelchair calls out Ticketmaster

Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing back playoff tailgates and they're totally free

The top 10 bowling alleys in Toronto