Kamloops Announces New Mini Skating Rink on North Shore as Part of Build Kamloops
15 May 2025
The City of Kamloops is excited to announce the creation of a new mini skating rink for community recreational skating and hockey use on the North Shore at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre. This new Build Kamloops initiative is aimed at enhancing recreational facilities for residents.
A mini skating rink will allow U-7 and U-9 hockey teams to use a smaller ice surface for their games and practices. This provides younger players with the opportunity to develop their skills in a space that is scaled to suit their age-specific abilities and aligns with Hockey Canada’s best practices. The mini rink will also offer opportunities for more public and club skating while creating additional ice time for older age groups at the other full-sized rinks.
As part of Build Kamloops, the McArthur Island Curling Club and Kamloops Curling Club have come together to support a vision for the development of a new curling facility that will replace two aging and inefficient facilities. While plans for the new Build Kamloops curling facility are in development, the two clubs will share ice at the Kamloops Curling Centre, freeing up the McArthur Island curling sheets to allow for the mini skating rink conversion.
The mini skating rink conversion is anticipated to take up to 14 weeks. It will include installing dasher boards, adding rubber mats to the non-playing area, and upgrading the existing refrigeration system.
“The demand for more ice time in the community has been increasing, even with the announcement of the arena multiplex,” said Sherri Holmes, the City’s Sport, Recreation, and Wellness Manager. “The mini skating rink is an opportunity to expand our capacity for ice sports and to work towards fulfilling the demand while the multiplex is being developed.”
“This initiative addresses the growing demand for ice time, supports youth hockey development, and enhances recreational facilities for all residents. By transforming this space, we are creating more opportunities for community and user groups to enjoy ice sports. It's another significant step in the Build Kamloops project," said Councillor Kelly Hall, Build Kamloops Council Select Committee Chair.
Funding for the project will come from the arena multiplex budget. The mini skating rink is projected to generate approximately $100,000 in additional revenue per season.
A mini skating rink will allow U-7 and U-9 hockey teams to use a smaller ice surface for their games and practices. This provides younger players with the opportunity to develop their skills in a space that is scaled to suit their age-specific abilities and aligns with Hockey Canada’s best practices. The mini rink will also offer opportunities for more public and club skating while creating additional ice time for older age groups at the other full-sized rinks.
As part of Build Kamloops, the McArthur Island Curling Club and Kamloops Curling Club have come together to support a vision for the development of a new curling facility that will replace two aging and inefficient facilities. While plans for the new Build Kamloops curling facility are in development, the two clubs will share ice at the Kamloops Curling Centre, freeing up the McArthur Island curling sheets to allow for the mini skating rink conversion.
The mini skating rink conversion is anticipated to take up to 14 weeks. It will include installing dasher boards, adding rubber mats to the non-playing area, and upgrading the existing refrigeration system.
“The demand for more ice time in the community has been increasing, even with the announcement of the arena multiplex,” said Sherri Holmes, the City’s Sport, Recreation, and Wellness Manager. “The mini skating rink is an opportunity to expand our capacity for ice sports and to work towards fulfilling the demand while the multiplex is being developed.”
“This initiative addresses the growing demand for ice time, supports youth hockey development, and enhances recreational facilities for all residents. By transforming this space, we are creating more opportunities for community and user groups to enjoy ice sports. It's another significant step in the Build Kamloops project," said Councillor Kelly Hall, Build Kamloops Council Select Committee Chair.
Funding for the project will come from the arena multiplex budget. The mini skating rink is projected to generate approximately $100,000 in additional revenue per season.
