Officials with the City of Ottawa say outdoor rinks are always tough to staff, and this year has been no exception.
Katy Prusakowski, the recreation supervisor with the City of Ottawa, said the city always finds itself scraping to find a handful of volunteers to ope right before the beginning of the outdoor skating season. Thanks to an outpourn a few outdoor rinksing of support this year, she said, the city is on track to open 246 outdoor rinks.
Only four are still in need of volunteers.
“This is all pretty common,” she said. “We’re usually searching for volunteers right up until the final hours.”
Prusakowski said an outcry from the public — amplified by city councillors, including new Bay Ward Coun. Theresa Kavanaugh, who pleaded with the public on Twitter last week, has pumped up concern that certain outdoor rinks wouldn’t open on time, or at all, this year — merely highlights an issue that Prusakowski and her team face on an annual basis.