Markham neighbourhood creates outdoor ice rink in a baseball diamond
A city just north of Toronto is making the best use of a baseball diamond by converting it into an ice rink this winter.
The popular Milliken Mills Park in Markham just had its baseball/softball diamond made into an ice rink. A recent video posted to TikTok shows the glassy ice surface nearly ready for use.
A sign in front of the rink had a red flag notification indicating the ice is too thin to use at the moment. The flag will change to yellow once it is ready.
Milliken Mills Park is one of five new outdoor ice rinks planned for Markham this season, according to a press release from the City of Markham.
Civic Centre Outdoor Ice Rink Now Open!
— City of Markham (@cityofmarkham) December 22, 2021
Check ice conditions before you go!
Thank you to our Skate Season Presenting sponsor, @KylemoreLiving and to our Skate Partner Sponsor, @YorkUniversityhttps://t.co/FzNviR8OSb pic.twitter.com/ncKa6bKOMu
Huntington Park, Victoria Square Park, Markham Museum and Milne Dam Park will also have outdoor rinks.
"The city will construct and maintain these rinks which will be made available pending weather conditions," the news release states.
A flag system at each location will signal when the ice is safe to use. Onsite parking is available at all locations.
The idea is to "provide easier access to residents in all parts of Markham, and offer safer and professionally maintained skating experiences."
Skating was so popular last winter that Toronto was banning out-of-towners from using rinks, and thousands of people made reservations to skate.
Markham reminded people to stay off ponds, stormwater ponds and waterways as the ice is unsafe and not maintained for recreation purposes. Also ponds may contain salt from nearby roads and other debris, which can speed up thawing.
A Toronto resident learned this the hard way last winter, falling through the ice in Grenadier Pond.
"Ice may appear thick, but it is unpredictable and some areas may have little to no ice," the release states. "Stay safe and stay off natural ice."
