It's nearly time to lace up those skates.
The ice rink at Windsor City Hall is almost ready to make its debut following completion of the $15.4-million project earlier this year.
Mayor Drew Dilkens said crews are currently decommissioning the fountain feature.
"The control people have been in with respect to the ice rink and we'll be ready to go sometime in November. If it gets cold, we'll be able to fire up the ice rink at city hall," said Dilkens.
Dilkens said the rink is a beautiful replacement for the previous rink at Charles Clark Square.
"This is actually an official ice rink that you would find in any arena. There's lighting, music, and it's just going to be a much better and much different experience than people have had skating downtown in the past," he said.
He said weather is a factor for the top layer of ice.
"The bottom layer obviously we can very cold. If it's really warm, then it gets slushy on top and becomes a little dangerous, so we just have to monitor the temperature like we did every other year, but we think that this is going to be a great amenity, we think the public is going to love it. We know they loved the water feature this summer," Dilkens said.
A delay in receiving refrigeration units sidelined those wanting to skate earlier this year, with the city pushing back the grand opening of the space to summer.
Construction began in July 2024, and one year later the city unveiled the long-awaited renovations as part of its 133rd birthday celebration.
Featured in the space are outdoor seating areas, a water feature, a pavilion, and grounds that will be converted seasonally for the skating rink.