Toronto has new places to glide this winter

Looking for more places to glide through winter? There are some new options in Toronto this season.

A downtown skating trail officially opened this weekend at College Park.

The public skating loop, named after the late Olympic gold medal figure skater Barbara Ann Scott, is near Yonge and College streets downtown. It officially opened on Saturday, and will be free to use until March 22.

There is also a new skating rink opening this year at Ethennonnhawahstihnen Park in North York, the city has said.

Three revitalized rinks are also open at the North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, Ramsden Park and Westgrove Park.

Toronto has 54 outdoor artificial ice rinks, the city says, which are typically open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the winter. The skating season launched on November 30 and runs until March.

The five-metre wide trail at College Park is designed to be a walking loop in the summer, the city said, and there’s a new rink house next to the ice.

It was funded by the developer Canderel Stoneridge, as well as the city.

The city claims this is the first outdoor skating path in North America to use a  technology in its refrigeration system that does not produce any net greenhouse gas emissions.

The city says it spends about $6.2 million to operate outdoor rinks across Toronto each year, which bring in more than 750,000 visits.

CBC