[Saint John, NB] Parks and Recreational Developments

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Inspired by the recent discussion over green spaces in Saint John (or the lack thereof) I figured it's high time we had a Parks and Recreation thread, especially if there is a bit of a race or competition that develops between Saint John, Fredericton, and Moncton for which city in New Brunswick will be the first to get a national urban park. I hope Saint John is picked to get the first national urban park in New Brunswick, and I think we have the geography and natural environment to back up our case to be the first location for one of Carney's new national Urban Parks. It's time to build!

I also hope that this park, along with all other national urban parks, will have year round outdoor hockey and lacrosse facilities, so that both our national winter sport (ice hockey) or national summer sport (lacrosse) can be played at every national urban national park in Canada, on any given day of the year.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Building upon the issue of the lack of outdoor hockey in Saint John, and how that is a major recreational disadvantage for Saint John, I thought I'd compare two nearby cities (Moncton and Halifax) and their outdoor rink programs.

As the discussion so quickly goes in Saint John, some people are very quick to shoot down ideas they see as non viable, and when it comes to outdoor rinks, many people are very quick to say the winter climate is too mild to support them here in Saint John.

Yet, Halifax is two zones milder than Saint John (map below), and Halifax has a city funded community outdoor rink program for non refrigerated rinks. Most of Saint John is only one growing zone milder than Moncton, or even the equivalent, yet they too have a city funded outdoor rink program.

I've posted screengrabs underneath the map below linked to both the Moncton and Halifax city funded community outdoor rink programs, and question why Saint John still doesn't have a comparable program, or even a single outdoor hockey rink.







Oh what programs Saint John could fund too, if the entire region paid into a single municipal budget, as is done in Halifax.


Instead of funding sensible community driven programs like these ones in Moncton, the city of Saint John's outdoor ice hockey strategy involves spending thousands of dollars on heavy equipment costs and city labourer costs each season, in efforts (mostly in vain) to flood an already frozen lake to support the heavy equipment they insist on using to clear off a skating surface. The minimum requirement for their heavy equipment is 18 inches of ice, which leaves the Lily Lake skating surface open for mere weeks each winter.

Starting with Lily Lake, the city of Saint John should transition the maintenance of the skating surface to community based groups using shovels and brooms, and other light equipment that doesn't require 18 inches of ice.

Beyond Lily Lake, the city of Saint John should follow the lead of Moncton and Halifax (and most other cities in Canada for that matter) and start a city funded community outdoor rink program, so that multiple neighbourhoods and their residents can maintain local rinks with minimal assistance from city workers, and modest funding from the city for each community rink.

Was disappointed to not see a single mention about the lack of outdoor hockey rinks in Saint John in that recent article that's been called a "hit piece" from the CBC, on the lack of green spaces and outdoor recreation in Saint John, especially since I heard the author herself is from Montreal where outdoor rink culture is very much alive and well.

The city of Saint John has a huge amount of room for improvement and catching up to others cities when it comes to its "ice strategy" for both indoor and outdoor rinks.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

• Video Link



So far, Saint John has not made the current short list, of which St. John's is the smallest city.

Considering Saint John's Rockwood Park is already one the the largest and oldest urban parks in Canada, I think our city, regional, and provincial leaders should start advocating for Saint John's Rockwood Park to be designated a national urban park... and try and make the PM fully deliver on his promise to establish 15 new national urban parks, not just 7.

I wonder if Wayne Long has even brought up Rockwood Park to the Prime Minister once? Considering Carney campaigned on creating 15 new national urban parks, I hope our MP inside the PM's cabinet is advocating for Rockwood Park to be one of those 15 new, national urban parks.

It also sounds like Saint John Cycling should also be stepping up to try and advocate for Rockwood Park to be considered, since they could definitely be considered a Parks Advocacy Group at this point, and probably the biggest group involved in advocating for Rockwood Park! I'm sure they'd love the prestige of saying their bike trails are within a National Park.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Cross Court Pickleball is opening a 4-court facility here in the city. Opening early 2026 at Loch Lomond Mall, (120 McDonald Street). They have other existing locations in Dartmouth and Bedford Nova Scotia plus another one opening in BC.

Their website: https://www.crosscourtpickleball.ca/

A nice, privately funded recreational development for East Saint John.

Definitely something positive for this ageing strip mall, and Dooly's.


...



and in other Saint John pickleball news:

[bingun]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

So far, Saint John has not made the current short list, of which St. John's is the smallest city.

Considering Saint John's Rockwood Park is already one the the largest and oldest urban parks in Canada, I think our city, regional, and provincial leaders should start advocating for Saint John's Rockwood Park to be designated a national urban park... and try and make the PM fully deliver on his promise to establish 15 new national urban parks, not just 7.

I wonder if Wayne Long has even brought up Rockwood Park to the Prime Minister once? Considering Carney campaigned on creating 15 new national urban parks, I hope our MP inside the PM's cabinet is advocating for Rockwood Park to be one of those 15 new, national urban parks.

It also sounds like Saint John Cycling should also be stepping up to try and advocate for Rockwood Park to be considered, since they could definitely be considered a Parks Advocacy Group at this point, and probably the biggest group involved in advocating for Rockwood Park! I'm sure they'd love the prestige of saying their bike trails are within a National Park.

I am curious, where did you find out about this update? There seems to have been zero news coverage about this, which is disappointing.

When I look at the Parks Canada site, this shortlist appears to be related to a 2021 commitment. Is Carney planning to continue those original proposed sites?

https://parks.canada.ca/pun-nup/potentiels-candidates

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by bingun

I am curious, where did you find out about this update? There seems to have been zero news coverage about this, which is disappointing.

When I look at the Parks Canada site, this shortlist appears to be related to a 2021 commitment. Is Carney planning to continue those original proposed sites?

https://parks.canada.ca/pun-nup/potentiels-candidates

I linked the top screengrab in that post to the website it's from:

https://parks.canada.ca/nature/science/aires-areas/pun-nup

I believe it was posted one month ago, but I had just recently come across it.


It seems the Carney government is planning to continue with those original potential sites, along with 8 additional site to bring the total to 15, new national urban parks:

Also found this on insta:



Based on the link you provided for the potential candidates, St. John's, NL seems to be the least fleshed out of the potential candidates and the only one of the seven without a specific location listed.

It's also probably worth pointing out that these first 7 potential locations were picked during the previous Trudeau government, where Wayne Long had far less influence... so hopefully Wayne Long, now in cabinet, can strongly advocate for Saint John's Rockwood Park to be selected as one of the 15 new, national urban parks.

Obviously, we're biased and we want to see Saint John selected, but I think there's a strong and objective case for Rockwood Park to be considered the best location for the first national urban park in New Brunswick... and that includes Saint John being both New Brunswick's and Canada's first city.

[bingun]

In typical Canadian fashion, I can't see them doing this initiative without adding at least one park per province, so it really is a case of putting forward a strong case for Rockwood Park in comparison to alternatives in Fredericton and Moncton.

I wonder how much the city spends to maintain Rockwood Park every year. I am sure they would be happy to see the federal government fund the park instead and redirect those funds to other parks and recreation facilities.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Barry Ogden has often brought up the need to restore St. Peter's ball field. He posted some pictures of the field the other day in wide ranging post about the North End. I wonder, is this a project of his own, or is it something that the city supports?

St. Peter's Field








Many people in Saint John are pretty quick to call recreational developments "Field of Dreams" stuff, but this location clearly has some potential. I don't know if they've got all the baseball locations picked out for the 2029 Canada Games yet, but I could see this location being turned into a decent little ballpark that could be used for the Canada Games and then for generations of Saint Johners to come.

I could also see this being a good location for a seasonal outdoor rink, as it's a large, flat location. Outdoor ice hockey and skating facilities is something this city lacks even more than ball fields. The Uptown skating rink at Ihtoli-Maqahamok is very nice aesthetically, but I think it was a pretty poor value in terms of what we got for the cost to taxpayers.

That's without even getting into issues that arose from the cost saving choice to go with a sub-par chiller for an outdoor rink at one of the mildest, foggiest, seaside locations in the province. From what I understand, the chiller that was put in for Fredericton's rink (a much colder city than Saint John) is good for temperatures up to +10° C, while the chiller at the Ihtoli-Maqahamok seems to only work when temperatures are near or below zero.

I think they would have been better making the Ihtoli-Maqahamok ice rink entirely weather dependent, and instead invested in a much bigger outdoor rink with a higher quality chiller at a much colder location, of which many exist within Saint John, a city of microclimates. Can't exactly go back and change the past, but we can still fix the mistake. The city would serve its residents well to invest in a better outdoor rink elsewhere. If Rothesay can have a world class outdoor skating rink, Saint John could too.

[darkharbour]

Since you started this thread, I would mention that the draft North End plan has three new potential parks identified to be focused primarily on areas near intensification.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Interesting to see this public facility will have booking fees, which are not yet outlined on the city website. Anyone know how much the fees are? I guess the city figured they could make some money and instill some order at these facilities. Pickleball courts seem to be among the very top requested public recreation facilities, which I don't personally get, but hopefully these booking fees can help finance other recreational facilities and infrastructure.

There was a lot of negative comments about this being a waste of money, etc, etc, like is so common on all City of Saint John posts ... but I did notice this comment which I felt was worth sharing:




I too think it's funny how quickly pickleball courts get built, and interesting how quickly the city has earmarked a quarter of a million for a cricket pitch, while we still don't have a single outdoor hockey rink (ODR) that is available for year round use.


We already do have a outdoor hockey rink that cost half a million dollars, but it doesn't have a roof, and DTI won't let the city operate the facility in the winter without a roof, due to risk of falling ice and snow from snow clearing operations on the viaduct above.



Not only would putting a roof on this facility enable its use during the winter season, it would extend it's usage year round, as Saint John has many rainy days each year where this facility cannot be used.


The City should invest in a roof for the Memorial Cup ODR

Beyond investing in a roof for the city's lone existing ODR facility, the city should look at building outdoor rinks with boards in other neighbourhoods, and maybe even invest in artificial refrigeration for a few of them.

Perhaps Americold, Beacon AI, VoltaGrid, and other relevant firms to the Saint John region could be convinced to sponsor community facilities like outdoor rinks, pickleball courts, basketball courts, ballparks, football/soccer fields, etc.

I think Saint John has a long way to go in terms of investing in recreational developments. Hopefully more partnerships can be made between the city, province, federal government, and corporations to greatly improve recreational infrastructure in Saint John.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Since you started this thread, I would mention that the draft North End plan has three new potential parks identified to be focused primarily on areas near intensification.

That's great to hear. I just looked it up on the plan, and I guess this is what you are referring to:



Speaking of parks, and looking at our largest park, Rockwood Park, on the map above... I hope the city, our MP, and other relevant organizations like Stonehammer Geopark, Saint John Cycling, and others work together on a plan to promote Saint John's Rockwood Park as the best location to be designated New Brunswick's first National Urban Park.

I believe Rockwood Park has a very good case to be selected, but it will still take a concerted effort to ensure it's even considered.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

source was told a temporary ice-skating rink will be installed at East Point as well.

That's interesting, i wonder if it will have boards, and if there will be any opportunity to play hockey there.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Speaking of rinks and chillers, I would like to find out what type of chiller system they'll be using for this East Point outdoor rink, and wonder if it's a system that could be replicated at the Memorial Cup Outdoor Rink outside Harbour Station that the city keeps locked up all winter.

Moreover, I reallly hope the City has figured out how to properly operate the chiller for their Ihtoli-maqahamok rink, or replaced it with a proper chiller, if it does turns out that the one they went with was inadequate for keeping ice frozen in Saint John's "milder" winter climate.

That rink only seemed to be open last winter when the weather was actually dipping below zero, which is just unacceptable for such a costly public investment.

Like, what was the point of investing millions in an outdoor skating rink with artificial refrigeration, if it only works properly when the temperature is near or below freezing?

SJ, California has an outdoor rink downtown with artificial refrigeration, and it works flawlessly, I've even skated on it myself.

"It's +6 °C and sunny" should't be seen as a valid excuse for why our outdoor rink with artificial refrigeration in Uptown SJ, New Brunswick is closed for skating. Here's hoping that won't be the case again this year.

[gtsoc]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Speaking of rinks and chillers, I would like to find out what type of chiller system they'll be using for this East Point outdoor rink, and wonder if it's a system that could be replicated at the Memorial Cup Outdoor Rink outside Harbour Station that the city keeps locked up all winter.

The ball hockey rink down by TD Station has just been transfered to the Saint John Sea Dogs Foundation to keep up the maintenance moving forward.

It will not be replicated because it is a ball hockey rink.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by gtsoc

The ball hockey rink down by TD Station has just been transfered to the Saint John Sea Dogs Foundation to keep up the maintenance moving forward.

It will not be replicated because it is a ball hockey rink.

Thanks for that update.

However, I find this development to be concerning. This was a publicly owned public recreation facility that was open to the public at most times (outside of the winter season) and it was a facility that cost nearly half a million dollars to build. Now the city is transferring it to a SJSD's Foundation, led by the same out of towner that made the initial boneheaded decision in the first place to build this facility at under the Viaduct, for a measly savings of $6000-8000 dollar a year?

(I say boneheaded decision, because they picked one of the only locations in the city where the provincial DTI would have an issue with the rink being used in the winter )


A Legacy Being Left Behind for Saint John

The 2022 Memorial Cup is heading to Saint John at the end of June.

Once the cup is hoisted and the tournament is over, a legacy will be left behind for the city.

The host organizing committee will pay to build a ball hockey surface next to the skateboard park in the area of TD Station.

Chair of the Memorial Cup Host Organizing Committee, Mark-Anthony Ashfield, says this is an opportunity to engage with young people throughout the community.

“We also wanted this to be something that would fit in with the existing infrastructure and the flow of the city, and something that would be professionally done, and something we can all be proud of for years to come,” Ashfield told council last week.

A city staff report said it will cost an estimated $400,000 to $550,000 to prepare the site and construct the ball hockey surface.

In addition to paying for the construction, the committee has offered to provide a fund of $35,000 to support the operations and maintenance of the facility for five years. City staff estimate it will cost $6,000 to $8,000 a year to operate and maintain the surface.

I hope the Sea Dog's Foundation at least plans to keep the facility open to the public, and not turn it into a private facility that's only open for use by recreation ball hockey and roller hockey leagues or something. I know some people like to point out that this facility was a "gift" to the city, paid for by the Memorial Cup Committee, but who was the biggest single funder of the 2022 Memorial Cup, if not the City of Saint John?

I find the "it is a ball hockey rink" so it won't be flooded as an ice hockey line that's been repeated by many people, along with the DTI's restriction "due to risk of falling snow and ice" to both be pretty BS reasons. Not trying to shoot the messenger, gtsoc, as you're certainly not the first person to say this... I'm just sayin' in genral.

I think it's just very weird that we keep a world class outdoor hockey rink locked up for the winter, when there are ways the facility could be flooded naturally, or possibly even refrigerated with a portable chiller system. If the DTI is absolutely insistent that the facility can't be used during the winter flooded a roof, then they should install a roof!

The facility has already cost more than $500,000 to build and maintain so far, why not go further and get a roof on this place if it will not only extend the use of the facility into the winter season, but also open it up for use on rainy days, of which Saint John has many! Moreover, if the rink gets a roof, followed by a liner to allow it to be flooded each winter, the rink's concrete surface will be better protected from the elements, extending its lifespan. Currently, this roofless, locked up hockey rink accumulates snow and ice all winter season, and is fully subjected to Saint John's snow, rain, freeze, thaw cycle each winter.

I'd still like to better understand how the city figured it was a good idea to transfer a half a million dollar recreation facility to a private entity, all to save $6-8k per year. To me, this seems like a pretty poor public recreation decision to give up what is still basically a brand new, state of the art facility in a city that is already severely lacking public sports and recreation facilities compared to other cities around the country.

Hopefully the new owners of this important recreational facility are open to using the funds from their foundation to invest in a roof for the facility one day, along with exploring the options to invest in the portable artificial refrigeration solutions needed to operate this facility as an ice rink during the winter season. An ODR beside TD Station and the Marco Polo could be a nice draw for families looking to have some outdoor hockey fun and take in a Sea Dogs game. From what I've heard, the team is struggling a bit attendance wise, so maybe investing in upgrading the Memorial Cup facility into a full fledged ODR could help boost attendance a bit.

Here's hoping this important recreational asset is far better utilized in the future.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Posted over on Facebook. Knapper announced they are opening a ball hockey facility in the McAllister Industrial Park Spring 2026. This is their first location in the Atlantic provinces.

https://knapper.com/

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Website mentions this new SJ facility is the largest infrastructure investment in Knapper’s history.

Here's the official renderings of the new facility:

https://saintjohnballhockey.com/

Great!

Sounds like Saint John will soon have two privately operated ball hockey facilities.

Though hopefully, the SJSDF keeps the Memorial Cup ball hockey rink a free, public facility, that is only sometimes booked out for recreational leagues.

...Now we just need some outdoor hockey rinks for playing ice hockey outdoors during the winter!

[Panpillsnoo]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Building upon the issue of the lack of outdoor hockey in Saint John, and how that is a major recreational disadvantage for Saint John, I thought I'd compare two nearby cities (Moncton and Halifax) and their outdoor rink programs.

As the discussion so quickly goes in Saint John, some people are very quick to shoot down ideas they see as non viable, and when it comes to outdoor rinks, many people are very quick to say the winter climate is too mild to support them here in Saint John.

Yet, Halifax is two zones milder than Saint John (map below), and Halifax has a city funded community outdoor rink program for non refrigerated rinks. Most of Saint John is only one growing zone milder than Moncton, or even the equivalent, yet they too have a city funded outdoor rink program.

I've posted screengrabs underneath the map below linked to both the Moncton and Halifax city funded community outdoor rink programs, and question why Saint John still doesn't have a comparable program, or even a single outdoor hockey rink.


Oh what programs Saint John could fund too, if the entire region paid into a single municipal budget, as is done in Halifax.


Instead of funding sensible community driven programs like these ones in Moncton, the city of Saint John's involves spending thousands of dollars on heavy equipment costs and city labourer costs each season, in efforts (mostly in vain) to flood an already frozen lake to support the heavy equipment they insist on using to clear off a skating surface. The minimum requirement for their heavy equipment is 18 inches of ice, which leaves the Lily Lake skating surface open for mere weeks each winter.

Starting with Lily Lake, the city of Saint John should transition the maintenance of the skating surface to community based groups using shovels and brooms, and other light equipment that doesn't require 18 inches of ice.

Beyond Lily Lake, the city of Saint John should follow the lead of Moncton and Halifax (and most other cities in Canada for that matter) and start a city funded community outdoor rink program, so that multiple neighbourhoods and their residents can maintain local rinks with minimal assistance from city workers, and modest funding from the city for each community rink.

Was disappointed to not see a single mention about the lack of outdoor hockey rinks in Saint John in that recent article that's been called from the CBC, on the lack of green spaces and outdoor recreation in Saint John, especially since I heard the author herself is from Montreal where outdoor rink culture is very much alive and well.

The city of Saint John has a huge amount of room for improvement and catching up to others cities when it comes to its "ice strategy" for both indoor and outdoor rinks.I love the idea of Saint John getting the first national urban park in New Brunswick — the geography alone already feels like a blueprint for something big. What really matters now is smart planning and making sure the park works smoothly year-round, whether it’s for hockey rinks that don’t sit empty in summer or lacrosse fields that can survive winter. It reminds me a bit of how some systems are built for efficiency from the ground up; lately I was reading a few online casino reviews about operational flow in online casinos in Ontario, especially on guides such as https://oncasinos.ca/fast-payout-casinos/, and the way they focus on clear processes and reliable steps feels pretty similar to what a national urban park needs. If Saint John designs its facilities with that same mindset -predictable, accessible, and ready for use without unnecessary friction - it could really stand out from Fredericton and Moncton. A park that’s easy to maintain, easy to use, and built for all seasons would not just win the “first national urban park” race… it would set a model for how Canadian cities can blend nature, sport, and community without overcomplicating the experience.

If I’m being honest, the whole situation with outdoor rinks in Saint John feels like one of those classic cases where the city keeps overcomplicating something that other places have already figured out. When you look at Moncton and Halifax both running successful, city-supported community rink programs in milder or similar climates it’s pretty hard to buy the argument that winter temperatures are the issue. It really seems more like a mindset problem than a climate problem. Saint John pours money into heavy equipment, crews, and a flooding strategy at Lily Lake that requires unrealistic ice thickness and ends up giving people only a tiny window to actually skate. Meanwhile, if they just adopted the community-maintenance model (shovels, brooms, light gear), Lily Lake alone could be usable way longer. And beyond that, having a proper community outdoor rink program like almost every other Canadian city would let different neighbourhoods build their own spaces with small grants and minimal city involvement. It’s wild that a city talking about improving recreation doesn’t even acknowledge its total lack of outdoor hockey options. Saint John really could be doing so much better if it stopped thinking in terms of heavy machinery and started thinking in terms of community.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

From the 5 year capital budget plan, some significant developments relating to parks and recreation.

Originally Posted by bingun

Parks/Recreation

• Shamrock Park - New Tennis Courts, Emera Field Renewal, Dog Park, New Playground, Basketball Court, Buy Centennial School Land (Various).
• Various Playground Improvements
• King St Trail Upgrade (2029)
• Ball Hockey/Basketball at Market Place West (2030)
• Seaside Park (2029)(finally)
• Rockwood Park A Frame Replacement (2030)

New traffic light system at University/Millidgeville Avenue, by the new McDonald's (2027), at Haymarket Sq (2028), Somerset/Barker (2029).

$5M for the Multipurpose Recreational Facility in 2029. I assume this is when they want to start building it.

$3M estimated for Simms Corner - no year specified

Sugar Refinery Site Redevelopment (2029)

Will be very interested to see what the plan is for Seaside Park. Also curious what the plans still are for the former sugar refinery site…

I remember the city had some basic plans drawn up with tennis courts and some public binoculars. Like, it would certainly be an improvement over the current state of the sugar refinery site, but overall seemed like a pretty poor land usage for such a large area. The sugar refinery site was mentioned many times in the port’s land use report as a site for possible port expansion, yet, the city’s plans for the site seem to leave little if any room for port expansion…

I must say I’m slightly concerned at the use of the word “ball hockey” for Marketplace West. Does the city plan to have another outdoor hockey rink that they keep locked up all winter like the Memorial Cup rink outside TD Station? I really hope not, but the use of the word ball hockey does seem to imply it won’t be available for ice hockey in the winter. I get that there are some liability and insurance risks with outdoor ice hockey rinks, but a “helmets required for kids / recommended for adults/ use at your own risk, etc” sign should go a long way on the liability front.

If the city deems double diamond mountain bike trails within Rockwood Park that people get injured on semi-frequently an acceptable insurance/liability risk, then I hardly see the issue with a few winter outdoor hockey rinks.

There used to be an outdoor hockey rink at Market Place West, which can be seen on Google street view. The city demolished it, then promised to build a new outdoor hockey rink with concrete surface. The rink never happened when the city forced the community to make a decision between getting a splash pad or a new outdoor rink. Here’s hoping this facility will be both for ball hockey/ roller hockey and ice hockey.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

From the 5 year capital budget plan, some significant developments relating to parks and recreation.





Will be very interested to see what the plan is for Seaside Park. Also curious what the plans still are for the former sugar refinery site…

I remember the city had some basic plans drawn up with tennis courts and some public binoculars. Like, it would certainly be an improvement over the current state of the sugar refinery site, but overall seemed like a pretty poor land usage for such a large area. The sugar refinery site was mentioned many times in the port’s land use report as a site for possible port expansion, yet, the city’s plans for the site seem to leave little if any room for port expansion…

I must say I’m slightly concerned at the use of the word “ball hockey” for Marketplace West. Does the city plan to have another outdoor hockey rink that they keep locked up all winter like the Memorial Cup rink outside TD Station? I really hope not, but the use of the word ball hockey does seem to imply it won’t be available for ice hockey in the winter. I get that there are some liability and insurance risks with outdoor ice hockey rinks, but a “helmets required for kids / recommended for adults/ use at your own risk, etc” sign should go a long way on the liability front.

If the city deems double diamond mountain bike trails within Rockwood Park that people get injured on semi-frequently an acceptable insurance/liability risk, then I hardly see the issue with a few winter outdoor hockey rinks.

There used to be an outdoor hockey rink at Market Place West, which can be seen on Google street view. The city demolished it, then promised to build a new outdoor hockey rink with concrete surface. The rink never happened when the city forced the community to make a decision between getting a splash pad or a new outdoor rink. Here’s hoping this facility will be both for ball hockey/ roller hockey and ice hockey.

There used to be a floodlit public skating rink across the street from Beaconsfield School that had a hockey rink as a "L" shaped extension running off it. The hockey rink had boards,lights etc and both rinks were maintained by city workers. There was also a cinderblock warming hut/changing room and a canteen.

Seems like we've gone backwards in the past 50 years in terms of easily accessible neighbourhood recreation.

[bingun]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

From the 5 year capital budget plan, some significant developments relating to parks and recreation.





Will be very interested to see what the plan is for Seaside Park. Also curious what the plans still are for the former sugar refinery site…

I remember the city had some basic plans drawn up with tennis courts and some public binoculars. Like, it would certainly be an improvement over the current state of the sugar refinery site, but overall seemed like a pretty poor land usage for such a large area. The sugar refinery site was mentioned many times in the port’s land use report as a site for possible port expansion, yet, the city’s plans for the site seem to leave little if any room for port expansion…

I must say I’m slightly concerned at the use of the word “ball hockey” for Marketplace West. Does the city plan to have another outdoor hockey rink that they keep locked up all winter like the Memorial Cup rink outside TD Station? I really hope not, but the use of the word ball hockey does seem to imply it won’t be available for ice hockey in the winter. I get that there are some liability and insurance risks with outdoor ice hockey rinks, but a “helmets required for kids / recommended for adults/ use at your own risk, etc” sign should go a long way on the liability front.

If the city deems double diamond mountain bike trails within Rockwood Park that people get injured on semi-frequently an acceptable insurance/liability risk, then I hardly see the issue with a few winter outdoor hockey rinks.

There used to be an outdoor hockey rink at Market Place West, which can be seen on Google street view. The city demolished it, then promised to build a new outdoor hockey rink with concrete surface. The rink never happened when the city forced the community to make a decision between getting a splash pad or a new outdoor rink. Here’s hoping this facility will be both for ball hockey/ roller hockey and ice hockey.

I didn't want to pad the main thread with too much, but there are some further recreational items, excluding the 2026 items, that have been discussed before.

2027 is very light.

2028

• Reversing Falls Trail - Phase 2 ($1.25M)
• Dog Park at Market Place West ($50K)
• Tucker Park Kayak Launch ($50K) - This sounds awesome

2029

• Fort Howe refurbishment ($300K) - Fencing/Gates/Asphalt/Flag Pole
• East Side Splashbad - ($1M)
• Rockwood Park Washroom Building Renewal ($500K)

2030

• The A-Frame replacement is described as phase 1 and 2 ($2.27M) - Demolition, new building + septic tank
• The ball hockey/basketball at Market Place West has $1M put aside for it.
• Seaside Park Phase 1 has $750K, and there is a Phase 2 with another $750K in a future, unspecified year.
• Memorial Park artificial turf ($750K)
• Loch Lomond Reservoir ($1M) - washrooms/changerooms/life guard space
• Dominion Park Trail Network ($100K)

Unspecified Year

• Shoreline Trail access to Bayshore Beach ($600K)
• St Peter's Ballfield ($500K)
• Basketball Court at Shamrock Park ($1M)

As for the ball hockey space, it's definitely ball hockey and not an ice surface. I know you are very passionate about this, but I think this could complement the new facility in the industrial park and be a good way to continue improvement to the lower west side. There will be more recreational facilities down there than almost anywhere in the city at this rate.

Speaking of outdoor ice spaces, why isn't the skating surface uptown open yet? It's been plenty cold for weeks, and I know the one in Fredericton is already open. They don't even have the excuse of it being their first year anymore. It would have been awesome to have it open for Uptown Sparkles. I am sure the kids would have enjoyed that.