WINNIPEG -- A community skating rink, which has been turned into a temporary parking lot, could be flooded as early as Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Last week, CTV News Winnipeg reported the Broadway Neighbourhood Centre skating rink is not in use this year due to a lease agreement with the city. Previously, the city would pay for the insurance, while the neighbourhood centre maintained the rink. Now, the city is restructuring the agreement and has asked the centre to pay for the insurance, which it says it can’t afford.
"It doesn't make sense – our grant is $120,000 – to spend money on that insurance – like we have our own insurance as it is," said the centre's executive director Lawrence Mulhall.
"People are complaining that they want (the skating rink) up and they want to skate and they want to get that going, and so do we."
On Tuesday, Mulhall told CTV News Winnipeg the rink has yet to be flooded, but the centre and the city have been working together to get people on the ice this year. He said the city indicated to him that they will get people skating in the short term, and they will discuss a long-term, sustainable solution.
Mulhall noted he expects the city to give the green light to flood the rink on Wednesday, with the goal of having it functional for an event on Saturday.
In a statement, the city said it’s working with the centre to fulfill the insurance requirements to get the rink up and running this season.
- With files from CTV’s Danton Unger, Mason DePatie and Renee Rodgers.
