ATWOOD – It appears there will be no more skating at the outdoor rink in Atwood for the time being.
And the weather is not to blame.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the Lions stated, “The Atwood Lions Rink is closed indefinitely by order of the Town of North Perth. Please direct any questions or concerns you may have to the Town of North Perth.”
No further explanation was given by the club for the closure.
When reached by phone on Tuesday morning, Jeff Newell, manager of facilities for the municipality, said the rink has been ordered closed due to an insurance coverage issue.
“We want to make sure there is appropriate coverage for the operators of the rink,” said Newell.
According to Newell, the municipality and the Lions Club are working on a lease agreement and that is when the insurance issue was discovered.
When asked why not wait until the end of the skating season in a couple of weeks to deal with the issue, Newell reiterated the municipality’s desire to ensure proper insurance coverage for the rink.
“A report will be coming to council on how to best handle the situation,” he said.
In a statement on Facebook Tuesday afternoon, North Perth stated, “Staff will be submitting a report to council in the near future which will include various solutions, such as reconsideration of ownership and operations, for council’s deliberation.”
The outdoor rink in Atwood is owned, operated and maintained by the Atwood Lions Club on land leased from the Municipality of North Perth. In February 2020, the Lions Club unveiled the new steel roof spanning the outdoor rink – a $200,000 project. The club raised funds and received an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant of $50,000 for the project.
The rink project was initiated in 2014 with the pouring of the concrete pad and installation of the boards and glass. An Olympia ice resurfacer was purchased in 2015.
More to come.
