This year, the Parks Committee spearheaded a GCA motion facilitating a consensus approach to the piloting of a boarded hockey rink in Sylvia Holden Park that aimed to address the concerns of residents living adjacent to the park and potentially preserve the four-season use of its main lawn.
The City is moving forward with a pilot which will feature a rink on the main lawn. However, water installation is the only permanent feature of the plan at this point before committing to any long-term implementation. This will all take place pending more outreach for Engage Ottawa feedback, any further insights gathered through a pilot season phase testing the rink’s popularity, and the workings of a volunteer maintenance plan structure.
The lighting aspects of the plan were a significant concern highlighted to the GCA by the residents living adjacent to the park on O’Connor Street. The pilot, with its six seasonal rink lights, three on either side of the rink, installed in late fall and removed in the spring, will be an important aspect to study during this test phase. Should the three permanent rink lights go ahead longer term, these lights would point away from the homes on O’Connor Street to provide directed light to the rink while minimizing light pollution for nearby residents.