New outdoor ice rink in downtown Windsor delayed

Work on a new outdoor skating rink and water feature in downtown Windsor, 2025. (Source: City of Windsor)

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens said the new outdoor ice rink next to city hall will not open to the public this winter.

He said crews are still waiting for the refrigeration units and the units are ordered but have been delayed until March.

“We’re hoping to get those installed and actually commission and test ice and make sure that it functions but I don’t think it will be open for public use this particular winter,” said Dilkens.

He added minor work is still being done at the site.

“A little bit of work continues to happen but really the refrigeration and the cold weather is really what’s holding things up,” he said.

“So they can’t put any concrete down or any of the landscaping until the spring comes and of course they can’t test the ice until the refrigeration is installed.”

The city now hopes to have the site operational this spring.

“We’re shooting right now to have everything done in May, which means the water feature will be activated and the space will be activated, all the hardscaping, and the softscaping and landscaping would be done but winter of 2025, we’d certainly have it open for skating,” said Dilkens.

Work on the $15.4 million project is being done by Oscar Construction and started in July.

The concrete was poured at the end of October.

The city was aiming for a December completion, with the hope of a January grand opening.

The project features an oval-shaped ice rink with an island that would also contain a water feature, allowing for activation in the spring, summer, and fall.

It also includes a pavilion, a building to house a Zamboni, an ice-making refrigeration system, water feature equipment, storage, an office, and two public washrooms.

- By AM800’s Rob Hindi