Popular Saint John lake now open to the public for skating

People in Saint John, N.B., are eagerly sharping their skates as Lily Lake in Rockwood Park has opened for public skating.

City crews have been taking advantage of the recent cold temperatures by flooding and plowing an area on Lily Lake just in front of the pavilion, and the city says it is now thick enough to be considered safe for residents to skate.

Even on a cold opening day, residents were lacing-up and hitting the ice.

“I’ve been waiting for quite a while,” said high school student Gerald Doucette. “I love to skate and love to play hockey, and now that the lake is frozen I get to do both of those things and have some fun.”

“It’s great to be out here, and it’s beautiful,” says friends Rose Oprisko and Paula Bawn.

“It’s like in the heart of Saint John so we can just come here anytime and just skate,” resident Gustavo Oliveira says.

City crews are flooding the ice daily weather permitting, with regular skating hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m every day.

“To see the work the city has put into this, keeping the ice clear and flooding it for the community so they can be out enjoying a part of our history in Saint John is great,” says Deborah Lawton, who serves as the community programs coordinator for the Lily Lake Pavilion.

Those who were enjoying the frozen surface on opening day admit you have to be a little careful as some spots are a little rough.

“It’s a bit rough in places,” admits Oprisko. “But you can find good enough stuff to skate on with no problem.”

“It has some bumps,” Oliveira agrees. “But we can still like skate nicely and have fun here.”

Although a few bumps and nicks don’t bother the skaters who get to enjoy the scenery of Rockwood Park.

“Honestly it’s kind of nice,” says Doucette. “Wind in your face, playing some puck sometimes with a friend and sometimes by yourself. It’s a pretty nice view especially out here at Lily Lake.”

Rockwood Park is a popular spot for locals to go out and enjoy a walk in, but the winter season tends to be a slower time of year for the area. Having the lake ready for skating is a welcomed sight for Lawton, as it brings it some extra foot traffic during the winter months.

“We do have a lot of people coming in to warm up, or coming here having lunch and then seeing skating is going on and coming back later on to enjoy it so definitely,” says Lawton. “Anything that brings life into Rockwood Park is always good for Lily Lake Pavilion.”

Those who skate on the ice each year say this is the best it has been in some time.

“Our winters definitely are changing,” Lawton notes. “We haven’t had the same deep colds that we have had this year so it is really wonderful to see the city putting in the resources to keep people skating on Lily Lake and making it a priority for the community.”

Skaters have been enjoying the entirety of the frozen lake for skating, but city crews are only maintaining a small area in front of the pavilion. Officials urge caution for those skating on other spots of the lake due to natural springs in the water that make some areas a little thinner.

The city will continue to monitor the ice conditions, and will update the public on any changes to skating conditions through their social media pages.

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