Warmer temperatures mean fewer Montreal ice rinks open for Christmas

There’s snow on the ground, but many outdoor skating rinks around Montreal have yet to open with less than 20 per cent having enough ice to actually skate on.

The city has around 225 outdoor rinks, but they have been opening later and later in the year.

“To this day I feel a little maybe melancholic that a lot of kids today don't have a chance to play outdoors as much,” said NHL columnist Dave Stubbs. “The temperatures and the climate now is such that you just don't have the availability of good ice outdoors with regular rinks.”

Temperatures reached a high of eight degrees Celsius last week in Montreal, and city officials say the warmer temperatures have put a damper on operations at many rinks.

The city explained that an accumulation of 10 centimetres of snow on the ground, temperatures below -5 degrees for at least three days with no precipitation must happen before starting up a non-refrigerated rink.

With the new reality meaning fewer rinks, Stubbs hopes to see more outdoor refrigerated rinks.

“Maybe it's about reallocating some of the money, fewer sort of regular ice rinks, and spend a bit more money to build some outdoor facilities that are refrigerated - to give kids a chance to play from December into probably February or March at least,” he said.