Mississauga residents fight to save outdoor skating rink
First covered outdoor rink in GTA slated for demolition to make way for indoor pool
When Joe Galati feels the wind on his face skating in the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre Outdoor Rink in Mississauga, he experiences what he can only describe as a “mysterious spiritual connection to nature.”
That’s why Galati created a petition to save the rink from its planned demolition in March to make way for an indoor pool — a demolition he says was planned “secretly” and without community consultation.
The rink, opened in 2004, was a historic build for the GTA. It was the first covered outdoor rink in the area, which allowed it to be used in defiance of rain, sleet and hail while still affording skaters a forest vista and fresh air — a must during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When you’re on the ice, outside in the cold, seeing the trees, you just love being alive and a human being,” said Galati. “After my mother passed away in 2014, this rink was the only thing that kept me sane.”
Shari Lichterman, commissioner of community services for the city of Mississauga, counters the claim in Galati’s petition, now signed by nearly 5,500 people, that residents were left in the dark about the rink’s fate. She said while the decision to demolish the arena could have been communicated better, it arrived after years of deliberation.
“We’ve discussed the plan to add the pool and fitness centre with the community for the last couple years,” said Lichterman.
“There was a project website, councillor emails, it was presented at budget, at council.
“Communication that the rink was going to be part of the project has been, perhaps, hampered by COVID and our inability to see our customers at the community centre in-person, but we did do a public open house about it in the fall.”
Petition-signer Indra Bharat shares Galati’s fondness for the outdoor facility.
“This rink carries memories for my family and my sons’ hockey development,” wrote Bharat. “It would be a shame for others not to have the same opportunity.”
According to Lichterman, the Burnhamthorpe rink sees an average of 500 people a week, while an indoor aquatic facility is anticipated to host 6,000 people weekly. She said the city’s recreation plans don’t always come down to arithmetic, but it was a factor in this case.
Chris Fonseca, city councillor for the ward containing the Burnhamthorpe Community Centre, noted that both the outdoor arena and the local pool were in “end-of-life” states, and that while she initially supported keeping and refurbishing the rink, there was no room for it in the final plan.
“If you ask people if they want to lose an amenity from a community, I think they’ll always say no,” said Lichterman. “I don’t know if the perspective is there, given that we’re in a pandemic and everyone is heavily using outdoor amenities this year.
“Is that going to continue? I hope so, but that’s not what the trend had been pre-pandemic.”
Lichterman said the future of skating in Mississauga will largely take place in indoor facilities.