Vancouver, Canada skating scene?

Does anyone skate in Vancouver, Canada? What are rinks like over there?

Thanks for the input,

Sarah

There is a Skate Canada Centre of Excellence here in Burnaby where Emmanuel Sandhu and Annie Bellmare train. It's a really nice rink with heaters that blow warm air out over the ice! The boards are still in, but they are covered in dark blue fabric and there is no glass. There is also a huge painting on one wall that runs from floor to ceiling for the entire length of the rink. I stick to open sessions and adult sessions and the atmosphere is very laid back and friendly.
Skate Canada Centre of Excellence

But besides the Centre of Excellence, there are sooo many rinks out here and most have great ice! You basically chose the arena based on when their ice times best fits into your schedule. If ice times at one place don't fit in with your school or job schedule, there is probably another rink about 20 minutes away that you can go to instead. For example (an exaggerated one), there are 14 ice surfaces within a block of the Centre of Excellence!

I don't know if I answered your question... do you have something specific that you want to know? Are you visiting Vancouver and just need to know where you can breathe some rink air?

~Cassie

Thanks soooo much!!!

Thanks for the info, Cassie! I'm just thinking of cities I'd like to live in five or so years down the road, once my grad studies are done, and Vancouver being the most livable (and lovable ) city in the world according to recent polls, and it's the one from the top five that I've actually visited, and I agree with the findings, I just thought I'd ask about the ice skating scene there. I also love the fact that the weather is the warmest in Canada and there's still a huge ice sport scene...and I just saw that the 2010 Winter Olympics will be in Vancouver! How's that for my timing? Being the ice skating fanatic that I am, all of this is just icing (no pun intended, I SWEAR ).

Cheers,

Sarah

p.s. Have you ever seen Eman in person, Cassie?

Yeah, Vancouver is a pretty amazing place to live. I went skiing at Whislter (2hour drive and the location for future olympic skiing events) on the weekend and then rollerblading last night. Tomorrow I'm gonna do a 10km hike up one of the local mountains and on Sunday I'm planning to go to the beach! There are sooo many different things you can do here basically all year round! It really is a fabulous place to live. Oh and the mountain biking is also top notch!

With the Olympics coming it's going to be even better. I'm sure there will be tons of volunteer work during the games - an opportunity you can't pass up. I volunteered for the fs world championships when they were here in 2001 and it was a fabulous experience! So I can't wait to do the same for the Olympic Games

As for Emanuel, yes - I've seen him in person and have also skated on the same session as him.

WOW!

Triple wow, over all you can do in Vancouver, plus the opportunity to volunteer at the upcoming winter games, plus skating on the same session with Eman

Hope to be there soon...

Sarah

I Live close to Vancouver well kinda anyways everytime i have to go there for a course or somthing I love it and it always wows me on how many things you can do and how well rounded the city is ! and Yes as cassie said the excellent center is great Ice !!! hope you enjoy when you get here !

Hi!
I skate in Vancouver, but my favorite ice is in Richmond, 15 minutes from where I live. The Richmond Ice Centre has tons of open time... and in the middle of the day it can be very empty. I have been alone! And 5 people is typical, though with school getting out that will change. The downside is that it is really really cold. Nowhere else that I skate comes close to that kind of cold. My hands, in gloves, hate that place. Too bad the rest of me is so happy to have all that space! I guess it is cold hockey ice, but I'm too much of a beginner to tell you more about the surface except that it isn't too rough.

alison.

Hi guys!

thanks all for your great feedback! Alison, I do have one question; have you skated at the Centre for Excellence rink in Burnaby? I definitely would prefer any rink that I can have all the ice to myself in, but I hear Burnaby is spectacular, AND that they blow warm air over the ice to keep the skaters warm and cozya far cry from the rink in Richmond, I would think!

Cheers,
Sarah