Downtown Toronto just got a new ice skating trail

As Toronto's many outdoor ice rinks start to get busy for the season, residents now have yet another skating spot to add to their list.

This weekend, the city opened its long-awaited Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail, a five metre-wide oval shaped rink in College Park.

The ice feature is named after the Canadian figure skater who took the gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games, among other championship wins.

I love , love , love the skating rink at College Park.

— sonjiapridham (@pleefs) December 8, 2019

The skating path uses the latest in green refrigeration systems, making it one of the most environmentally friendly outdoor artificial rinks in the continent, with zero net carbon emissions.

The rink will serve as a walking trail in the summer, and the rest of the park has been upgraded with new landscaping, statues and a 1,500-square-foot wood and glass pavilion that houses washrooms, as well as a warming and Zamboni station. 

Construction on the project was started back in 2016, so many are thrilled that the arterial area has finally been reopened to the public.

The Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail marks the latest addition to the city's list of 54 other outdoor artificial ice rinks, and though it's new to many, others will remember that the park was actually already home to an ice rink of the same name from the 1980s until 2011, when it closed due to budget restrictions.

The revitalized trail, located among the skyscrapers near Yonge and College, will be open for skating until March 22.