Lacing up a pair of skates and gliding across the ice on outdoor rinks in parks, schoolyards and backyards is a treasured winter tradition, and you’re never too old to join the fun.
In Thompson, skate indoors at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena, or head to outdoor rinks at Eastwood Park, Juniper Park and Southwood Park. Just south of Thompson, there’s great skating on Paint Lake in Paint Lake Provincial Park, where you can relax in a log cabin warmup shelter equipped with wood stoves, firewood and picnic tables.
Flin Flon’s Whitney Forum has indoor ice from August 1 – April 1, with set times for public skating and more hockey than you can shake a stick at. Check out the history of Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team the Flin Flon Junior Bombers. Formerly the Flin Flon Bombers, the legendary team has produced more than its share of NHL greats, including Philadelphia Flyers’ star-turned-executive Bobby Clarke.
In The Pas, enjoy indoor ice at Roy H. Johnston Arena, and at Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre at nearby Opaskwayak Cree Nation, or hit an outdoor rink at Ralls Island Community Park east of town, or at the Opasquia Agricultural Society Exhibition Grounds. In Churchill, skaters take to the ice at the Town Centre Complex arena, where the puck drops for the annual Walter Lundie Memorial Hockey Tournament in March. In past years, players have travelled from Nunavut, Stonewall and Neepawa to play in the three-day tournament, which also features a beer garden and social.