There’s something about the sight of a natural skating rink that warms the heart. I noticed on Monday that someone had cleared a good-sized rink on the marsh in E.T. Seton Park. The marsh was pretty completely frozen over last week and I wondered how suitable it would be for skating. I guess someone found out.
Of course, by Wednesday, the party poopers at the City had put up new “Ice Unsafe” and “No Skating” signs and melted all of the ice. Those fun-hating bastages. I don’t mind the signs so much, but they could have left the rink intact.
Despite the relative deep freeze of the last couple of weeks, I think it was still a little early to be heading out on natural ice. The ice looked solid even on Monday, but I wasn’t going anywhere near it. Call me paranoid, but I can wait until a proper January freeze.
The “No Skating” signs include a hand-lettered reference to Chapter 608 of the Toronto Municipal Code, section 21B of which states that, “No person shall access or skate on a natural ice surface in a park where it is posted to prohibit it.” Are there any natural ice surfaces in Toronto that don’t get “No Skating” signs posted every winter? Last I heard, even Grenadier Pond gets this treatment. Signs also line the banks of the Don River, and I can’t remember ever seeing that chemical soup frozen over. I did snowshoe across Taylor Creek once a few years ago, but only because I knew the river was about three inches deep below the ice.
“…and melted all of the ice.”
I do not understand. Did the city melt the ice or did it thaw naturally? How would you melt it, if so inclined?
Well, I don’t for a second believe that the ice melted just because it’s been warm this week. Am I really supposed to believe that it’s a coincidence that the ice melted only after the “Ice Unsafe” signs went up? Nope, I think that the city turned the park furnace up to 11 for a couple of days just to ensure that no one could go skating.
If I wanted to melt the ice, I’d probably focus the sun’s rays on it with my Swiss Army magnifying glass. Oh sure, it would take me a while, but I bet I’d be done by spring.