Meet the city volunteers preparing Ottawa's ice rinks during the deep freeze

Despite facing bone-chilling temperatures, dedicated volunteers have been hard at work preparing more than 250 outdoor rinks across Ottawa for eager skaters.

• Sign up now for our nightly CTV News Ottawa newsletter
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

After a mild December, the recent January cold snap is providing the ideal conditions for community volunteers to flood outdoor rinks.

"Typically, we are either just before Christmas or in between Christmas and New Years for the start,” said Riaz Mohammed, a committed rink volunteer for more than 10 years.

"This is by far the latest and we've just been at the mercy of Mother Nature."

The formula for smooth ice, as volunteers reveal, is time. They say it can take up to 50 hours to get a rink ready for skaters.

"Since Sunday, I put in about 19,000 steps on this rink," said Mohammed.

Ingrid de Vries, another dedicated rink volunteer, says the community involvement is what keeps her coming back year after year.

"I do it because I live right across from the park,” said de Vries. “I really love seeing this facility used to its maximum."

On a cold January day, two players from the Nepean Raiders took the opportunity to sharpen their skills on the outdoor ice.

"It's nice. Last year, they didn't have any rinks open," said hockey player Oliver Spagnol. "So it's nice to be out on one again."

Benjamin Uzan, another hockey player, adds, "It's really nice to finally be able to come out here because we only have two hours a week to play with our team. So even that hour and a half more of practices goes a long way."

Tanglewood Park Outdoor Rink. Jan. 19, 2024 (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)These outdoor rinks, scattered across almost every neighborhood in Ottawa, hold sentimental value for many communities, but maintaining them is an ongoing process for volunteers.

"If it rains, we sometimes have to start rebuilding the rink or if it snows a lot," said de Vries. "So it's really quite variable, the amount of work to maintain it."

For the dedicated volunteers who invest countless hours ensuring the ice is perfect, the experience is a rewarding one.

"It's beautiful," said Mohammed. "It's very meditative, when you've just got the stream of water going back and forth. It's a lot of fun."