Skating on Lost Lagoon and other icy Vancouver memories

Nothing says winter like lacing up to skate on a public pond, sowhen Metro Vancouver's moderate climate turns chilly, people are often eager to hit the ice outdoors.

But lakes and ponds in Vancouver have to be at least 12 centimetres thick before the park board will officially open them up for skating, which hasn't happened since 1996.

The video above was taken in 1974, after a lengthy cold spell allowed Vancouverites to glide along Lost Lagoon.

So will the current cold snapfinally let the city's residents bust outtheir bestPatrick Chan impression and create new skating-filled memories?

'We're getting close'

Park board chair Michael Wiebe says staff are currentlychecking the ice to see if it's safe.

"I'm excited because we're getting close, butcurrentlyit's still dangerous to be out there,"Wiebesaid, noting a dog and its owner recently broke through the ice at Trout Lake.

"But it issomethingthat we're not going to holdback on if itdoesbecome safe, I'm going to be the first person to yell it out."

Wiebe, 36, saidhe and his family often used to go to Burnaby Lake or the ponds at Jericho Beach to skate.

"It used to be a common practice," said Wiebe.

"This is something that alot of people have nostalgia [about] who would just love to get out there again."

Will the cold stay?

According to CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe, if the temperature were to stay below zero until Monday it would be a week-long cold snap the longest stretch of icy weather since 1990.

And for those wondering how cold it has ever gotten in Vancouver, the lowest recorded December temperatureat YVR was -17.8 C on Dec. 29, 1968.

Wiebeis still holding out for the cold to last just long enough to get people skating outdoors for the first time in 20 years.

"I hope it's something we can bring back because it's something we don't do a lot of in Vancouver," he said.

Unfortunately, Vancouveritesshould expecta return to warmer temperatures by Mondayand a messy mix of rain and slush.