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Winter (Ice Park) Facility (Mississauga, IcePark)

Jasonzed

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I think it's a great idea. The Lakeview area along the waterfront might be a good location but near the City Centre would be better.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1234456--mississauga-ice-rink-icepark-wants-to-build-multi-use-winter-facility

c52a6f254aa99a34077cc56daf24.jpg

This rendering shows the IcePark group's proposal to build a $60 million winter facility in the city. It would feature a 1.6 kilometre ice trail and world-class speedskating rink.

San Grewal
Urban Affairs Reporter

With the GTA in the midst of a sweltering summer it might be the perfect time to talk about ice.

A Mississauga group called IcePark has unveiled plans for a $60-million winter facility that would include a 1.6-kilometre ice trail modelled after the Rideau Canal, a world-class speedskating oval, hockey rinks, curling, a state-of-the-art toboggan run and more.

“Rideau Canal is beautiful, it’s fabulous, it’s the inspiration behind this park,” says John Stillich, president of IcePark Group Inc., a non-profit organization of Mississauga citizens who believe the city lacks proper winter recreational facilities.

The idea is to build the 8-hectare facility on a site near the city’s centre and charge about $10 admission. The City of Mississauga would own and operate the facility and would have to come up with $20 million for capital costs (the province and the federal government or possibly the private sector would provide the rest).

It would be primarily a winter park, refrigerated three months a year to guarantee proper conditions, then would convert to a warm-weather facility for roller-blading, tennis, beach volleyball, bike racing, even an open-air pool as well as outdoor festivals and events.

“I think it’s a great idea, it’s got all the winning elements, for sure,” said Councillor George Carlson, who has met with Stillich’s group about the project. “But he did not pick the most robust economic time to ask for $20 million.”

Carlson pointed out that after two sharp annual property tax increases on the city’s portion of the tax bill, residents might be wary of such a large price tag.

But Stillich said council must be creative and forward thinking.

“It works out to two cents a day per household. There’s nothing like this in North America, in scale or quality. How can a region of six million people in a winter nation not have a proper speedskating oval.”

Stillich also noted that existing public winter facilities are barely being used and that private indoor rinks are expensive and hard to book.

“And we’re not talking about going around in circles in a dark, dingy rink anyway — people want something dynamic.”

Paul Mitcham, the city’s commissioner of community services, agreed that existing community rinks are “going by the wayside.”

“There’s very little natural ice given the way the climate has been over the last decade. We just don’t have the climate to support community rinks anymore.”

But he said the proposed business plan for the ice park, which will be presented to council formally in the fall, will be a hard sell.

“There is no charge for the Rideau Canal.” Mitcham said, adding many of the other amenities included in the plan are also typically available free in Ontario.

Stillich said his group’s early research shows residents would be willing to pay. People need more options than just going to the movies or the mall, he said.

“I think people are desperate for something like this. Do we want to raise a future generation of cyber-kids, couch potatoes, who don’t do anything over the winter?”
 
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Modelled after Rideau Canal? It looks and feels nothing like Rideau Canal. Rideau Canal serves a purpose when it's not ice. This park will be a barren empty land when not it's not winter. I'm sorry, but back to the drawing boards.
 
What parcel of land "near the city’s centre" are they considering? Based on the size mentioned in the article and the approximate dimensions of the picture, they are looking at a piece of land a little under 1km x 1km. Trying to think where that might be; unless they are using the term 'near' quite liberally.
 
What parcel of land "near the city’s centre" are they considering? Based on the size mentioned in the article and the approximate dimensions of the picture, they are looking at a piece of land a little under 1km x 1km. Trying to think where that might be; unless they are using the term 'near' quite liberally.

I'm thinking:

1> the land adjacent to Icelands along the 403 just north of Eglinton.
2> the driving range at the 403/Eglinton could be bought out
3> west of Hurontario and Eglinton after the Pinnacle development
4> further north along Hurontario and Bristol
5> ???
 
I don't think they mean it would be identical to the Rideau Canal, but more so in spirit, i.e a skating trail. It is marketing fluff, though.

The article does mention that the facilities will be used for Swimming, Tennis, volleyball, rollerblading, bike racing etc in the summer - so I don't think it would be barren in the summer, theoretically speaking.

The important points though, are that the existing public winter facilities are underused in Mississauga, and much of what you could do at this park, you could do elsewhere for free (i.e skating) or at a more natural location (i.e, the rideau canal, ski country, etc)

It is a good idea in principle - Mississauga needs a good entertainment venue near the city centre, but this particular one needs some tweaking.
 
I think this would only work if it was in the CityCentre...but there isn't really any room for it as most plots are developer owned at this point.

Also don't know how the city would feel about more skating being near the new outdoor rink at City Hall.

I think it would be nice in theory...
 
http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=6e59a58012f75d930c2aa02f41a3d2a8c3a8d2eb&projectid=9163134&region=ontario

RECREATION FACILITIES Proj: 9163134-1
Mississauga, Peel Reg ON CONTEMPLATED
site undetermined
$60,000,000 est
Note: Project is conceptual. Owner will be making a pitch to the council in the fall for their approval. Owner hopes the city will take on the project as owner and operator and provide the funding for the design and construction. Further update early 2013.
Project: proposed construction of a recreation facility which may included the following: main entrance building, heated swimming pool, curling building, parking garage as well as a maintenance building, a 1.6 km ice trail, outdoor hockey rinks, toboggan run and speed-skating oval. The main entrance building could include an outfitter's shop, changing area, restaurant as well as exhibits and function rooms. In the summer the area can be used for outdoor events and festivals, tennis, bicycle racing, rollerblading, beach volleyball and an open-air pool.
Development: New
Category: Recreational bldgs
This report Tue Jul 31, 2012.
 

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