Stay safe around stormwater ponds this winter

Do you have a stormwater management pond in your neighbourhood? Vaughan is home to more than 150 of these human-made ponds, which are designed to temporarily hold water before releasing it back into the environment at a controlled rate. While they are nice to look at on a winter walk, they are not intended – or safe – for recreational use!

Water constantly flows in and out of stormwater ponds, so the water levels are always changing, making any activity in or around them unsafe. When frozen, the thickness of the ice is highly unpredictable, which also makes it dangerous to walk or skate on. 

So, when you’re out and about this winter, please keep a safe distance from stormwater ponds.

To learn more about Vaughan’s stormwater ponds, visit vaughan.ca/stormwater. 

Looking for a safe place to skate outdoors in Vaughan?

Enjoy the crisp winter air and skate for FREE on one of the City’s outdoor ice rinks:

• Chancellor Community Centre (350 Ansley Grove Rd.)
• Cortellucci Square (300 Maplecrete Rd.)
• Dufferin Clark Community Centre (1441 Clark Ave. W.)
• Father E. Bulfon Community Centre (8141 Martin Grove Rd.)
• Garnet A. Williams Community Centre (501 Clark Ave. W.)
• Secord Park (65 Secord Ave.)
• The Sports Village skating trail (2600 Rutherford Rd.)
• Vellore Village Community Centre (1 Villa Royale Ave.)

Weather permitting, all outdoor rinks are open daily until 11 p.m., except for Father E. Bulfon Community Centre, which closes at 10:30 p.m. All rinks are subject to weekly closures for regular maintenance on Wednesdays between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Vellore Village Community Centre and Cortellucci Square, on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Chancellor, Dufferin Clark and Father E. Bulfon community centres, and on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Garnet A. Williams Community Centre.

Indoor recreational skating and shinny hockey

With temperatures dropping, why not skate indoors? Registered drop-in indoor supervised recreational skating and shinny hockey is available at:

• Al Palladini Community Centre (9201 Islington Ave.)
• Garnet A. Williams Community Centre (501 Clark Ave. W.)
• Maple Community Centre (10190 Keele St.)
• Woodbridge Memorial Arena (5020 Highway 7)

Permit opportunities (outdoors)

Looking for a great spot to host your next outdoor activity or event? The outdoor arena at Father E. Bulfon Community Centre may be permitted for exclusive use. Call 905-832-2281 or email rec@vaughan.ca to reserve.

Last-minute ice rentals (indoors)

Want the ice all to yourself? You can book last-minute (24 hours to five days in advance) ice rentals for skating or shinny hockey for a promo rate of $99 per hour (plus HST and application insurance) at the following indoor arena locations: 

• Al Palladini Community Centre (9201 Islington Ave.)
• Garnet A. Williams Community Centre (501 Clark Ave. W.)
• Maple Community Centre (10190 Keele St.)
• Rosemount Community Centre (1000 New Westminster Dr.)
• The Sports Village, for City-owned ice time only (2600 Rutherford Rd.)
• Woodbridge Pool and Memorial Arena (5020 Highway 7)

For the enjoyment and safety of all skaters, everyone is asked to follow the City’s Skating Rink Guidelines (PDF). Rinks are unsupervised unless otherwise stated in the recreational skating and shinny hockey schedule at vaughan.ca/skate.

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