No appointments for outdoor rinks

Toronto relaxes COVID rules for skaters as winter activities move ‘toward normal’

Toronto is shelving last winter’s pandemic measures that saw skaters having to book appointments at outdoor city rinks with locked change rooms.

The first rinks are set to open Nov. 27 with no appointment necessary and no limits on the number of skaters. Change rooms will open, but at 50 per cent capacity with a request for people to arrive as ready to skate as possible.

Mayor John Tory told reporters at Greenwood Park that the relaxation of rink restrictions, part of a city winter recreation program “getting itself back toward normal,” was decided with input from public health chief Dr. Eileen de Villa.

“This winter is going to be much different than last winter and hopefully that means much more fun,” Tory said Thursday as, behind him, a Zamboni glided over ice forming with the help of mechanical refrigeration. The news comes as COVID-19 infections are once again rising in Toronto.

Tory, who recently said he didn’t expect vaccines for kids to be approved until late November or early December, said he has no insight into “the mysteries of federal health approvals,” but wants the child-formula Pfizer to arrive as soon as possible.

The mayor estimated it could take “a week or so” from the Health Canada announcement until young Toronto kids are being immunized, because the vaccine will be shipped to Ontario and then distributed to local health units.

“I think all of that should be done in pretty short order because our plan is ready to go,” Tory said, referring to the city’s “Team Toronto Kids” plan to quickly immunize as many of the roughly 200,000 eligible children as possible.

That includes vaccination clinics in schools and community sites across Toronto, with special outreach in priority neighbourhoods, plus the city’s five fixed-site clinics and doctors’ offices and participating pharmacies.

The strategy also includes online information sessions aimed at the roughly one-third of parents of kids aged five to 11 who, according to a city survey, aren’t yet planning to immunize them against COVID-19.

Tory said that the more kids protected against the virus, the less chance it will spread and the safer it will be for them and others to enjoy winter activities without the restrictions and closures Toronto saw last winter.

Toronto’s winter recreation program includes:

Thirty-eight outdoor rinks opening Nov. 27 with the remaining 13 opening Dec. 4, weather permitting. They’ll operate from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, including holidays.

The city helping neighbourhoods build and maintain natural ice rinks with guidance, access to water, snow shovels, lighting and, where available, public signage. Applications can for the first time be made online and are being taken until Dec. 31.

Skiing and snowboarding at Earl Bales and Centennial parks starting Jan. 1, weather dependent.

Sanctioned sledding at 26 toboggan hills across Toronto.

Seven snow loops for walking and snowshoeing at the city’s four golf courses, with loops ranging from one kilometre to 2.5 kilometres.

Seven disc-golf locations, including an expanded 18-hole course at Scarlett Woods Golf Course and a new nine-hole course at Dentonia Golf Course.

This winter is going to be much different than last winter and hopefully that means much more fun.

JOHN TORY, TORONTO MAYOR