Thunder Bay outdoor skating rinks start to see first floodings

Some colder weather is on the way for Thunder Bay, and that means outdoor rinks are getting their first floods of the season.

The parks department now has staff working into the evenings to try and prepare the ice for the Christmas holidays.

City's parks manager Paul Fayrick said workers based at rinks for the winter along with those who are on a day shift are trying to get the ice started.

"If we get those colder days, like -4C, they can still put a flood on in the morning from the shop," he said.

"And, when the guys come in in the afternoon, if it's hardened up, they can put some more on. We're going to do our best."

Any sort of snowfall will slow down the rink-building process, as it must be cleared before flooding can take place.

For those looking for an opening date, they're out of luck.

"We'll open them as fast as we can," Fayrick continued.

"There's just no way to even pick a date. In some places we'll end up with a little bit of skateable ice earlier than others. Site conditions and things like that will make a difference."

Sites that are more level are better suited for faster ice-making, he added.