As temperatures have cooled down, planning for the 2022-2023 season is underway at the Skatium Ice Rink in Waitsfield. Weather permitting, the plan is to open the rink the week before Christmas. Volunteers are already working on the rink, fixing boards, painting, and laying ice. Thin layers of ice will be added over the next couple of weeks, as long as the temperatures stay cold.
The Skatium is celebrating 30 years in operation and plans are in the works for some major changes and upgrades to the facility, though nothing is set in stone yet. Board member Debbie Smith said the board hopes to turn the Skatium into an all-season recreational facility. They’d like to put a roof over the rink, keep it an ice rink in the winter and open it up for community activities and events the rest of the year, which may include things like pickleball, soccer or lacrosse, and maybe even movie nights. “It’s been a whole process,” Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of ideas.” The Skatium has a new advisory committee of young people working alongside the board on developing plans. Smith said fundraising will begin in 2023.
The 2022-2023 season will continue as usual, with pick-up hockey, school programs, and free skating.
