Great Skate #42: Regent Park, Toronto

Great Skate #42 took place on February 20, 2017 at Regent Park. It was a holiday Monday, and I had spent the previous days north of the city, where there was two feet of snow on the ground. But in Toronto, the streets were snow-free and the sky was a brilliant blue.

The Regent Park rink was renovated a few years ago as part of the neighbourhood's redevelopment, which converted sub-standard social housing into a mixed-income community that includes recreation and cultural amenities. The rink itself is a basic hamster-cage hockey pad, next to a spacious and well-equipped rink house.

Despite the sun and mild temperatures, the ice was in good shape. I was one of a handful of skaters, who also included a father and son doing hockey drills at one end of the rink, and a few fellows doing steady laps like me.

Alongside the rink is a soccer field, and a game was underway while we skated. Beyond that, kids were shooting hoops on the basketball court. There was a definite sense that the year was shifting into spring, and we were leaving winter behind.

(But never trust a February warm spell. March was miserable, and we had snow in April.)




Location: 480 Shuter St, Toronto, ON M5A 3K1, Canada

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