This is one of the first things I noticed when I moved here after growing up in Montreal, the lack of community infrastructure. In Montreal, many neighbourhoods have their own community pool and/or rink, so it made things easy in summer and winter for families to spend time outdoors and have fun.
Came here to say this. They're all over the place in Montreal & it's awesome.
Yeah, almost every day in winter and summer I’d walk down the street to the neighbourhood park and used the rink or the pool. And if I was visiting a friend a few blocks away I’d go to their neighbourhood park to use the rink or pool. It was amazing.
In northern NB we were fortunate to have outdoor rinks in the winter. We all played hockey, so it was used every single day and night. I was one of only two goalies in our neighbourhood. We got a lot of practice
Look at how popular the Oval is! People LOVE the Oval. Community rinks would be such a hit and more accessible for other HRM residents who can't make it into the city and whose local arenas are being used by hockey teams.
Exactly. Really what there needs to be is more of a focus on creating accessible “third places” for people to congregate, build community, and enjoy their surroundings.
I strongly agree with this. Halifax Regional Municipality approves development with absolutely no requirements for the very things that will make it a community, not even sidewalks in many cases!
Yes, and it is something that everyone, whether you live in an urban or rural part of HRM, deserves and would improve quality of life immeasurably.
I think this is better where I live now than it was in the HRM burbs. Build all these things!
Halifax suburbs are so obsessed with hockey, so the teams take up all the indoor ice time. Outdoor community rinks could be free and for fun. No competition but maybe have teen nights, seniors skate nights etc.
And it could be one part of an overall strategy to reduce congestion. Imagine building amenities like rinks or pools in different neighbourhoods that people can access easily rather than having to get in their car to drive to the Oval or the Commons pool.