Shinny put on ice, city requests nets be taken off outdoor rinks

COVID-19 is impacting a winter pastime in Saskatoon.

The new provincial health order that took effect on Friday suspended all sports competitions and games until Dec. 17.

On Monday, the city issued a notice to community association rink co-ordinators about how the new measures apply to the 52 outdoor rinks across the city.

Andrew Roberts, director of recreation and community development for the city says the rules are meant to discourage shinny or pickup hockey games when a rink is not supervised.

“We have recommended that community associations do not leave the nets out there for supervised times,” said Roberts.  “We expect activities would break out and we would be in a situation where they might not be able to maintain physical distancing.

“We haven’t mandated (community rinks) remove their nets for the unsupervised times, but we are highly recommending it just because it does create a chance of a transmission or a liability.”

While a game of pickup hockey with friends is discouraged, Roberts said pucks and sticks are still allowed under the practice guidelines provided by the province.

They state a maximum of eight individuals under the age of 18 can participate in hockey skills conditioning and training, as long as three-metre physical distancing can be maintained.

“If the community associations wish to book out the outdoor rinks for hockey practices they can put the nets on the ice just like we do for the indoor rinks,” Roberts said.

The measures for indoor and outdoor rinks are as follows:

• Any kind of organized or pickup hockey during designated public skating times will not be permitted on outdoor ice rinks. Please remove any hockey nets from your rinks and store them away so they cannot be brought out for use at any time.
• The maximum allowable number of participants allowed on the outdoor ice rink at any one time is 30 individuals, as per current outdoor gathering restrictions.
• Spectators are allowed around the outside of the rink. Members of household groups can gather together, with a minimum of two metres between household groups — side to side and front to back.
• Outside of public skating times, groups of no more than eight individuals under the age of 18 can participate in hockey skills conditioning and training, as long as three metres of physical distancing can be maintained. If physical distancing cannot be maintained in this scenario, it is recommended that all participants wear a mask.