Sk8te Hollinger fans will be able to hit the ice this winter, but the popular spot will be under new direction.
Ken Pye, who has organized the outdoor skating oval for the past three years, has stepped away from the operation.
In response, Mayor Steve Black is garnering a list of people interested in helping to keep the rink going for the winter.
“It’s an important facility for the City of Timmins and after Mr. Pye decided to formally withdraw and give it up, I had a number of people that either helped out in previous years that reached out or others in the community that reached out as well saying if you do want to keep this going I’m willing to help,” said Black.
“I also reached out to a couple to see if they’d help with some of the larger items to be able to keep it going as well so we’re putting that list together and we’ll have a meeting in the near future to discuss forming the non-profit board and getting the volunteer list set up for the upcoming season.”
He said the goal is to run the rink like a community non-profit board.
“Any donations that come in are run through the board or tracked by the board, spending’s approved by the board and kind of tighten up things on that end as well and ensure that whatever does get donated remains with the board no matter who’s involved with the oval in the future,” Black said.
There is a municipal election coming up Oct. 22.
Both Black and Pye are registered candidates, with Black seeking re-election for mayor, and Pye running for the Ward 1 councillor seat.
Black said his role right now is to assemble a group that can form the board and ensure that the skating oval is maintained at the park or other location it needs to be run at.
“In terms of my direct involvement, I’m willing to do whatever’s needed by the board to help them if needed or if they’re comfortable and we get a group set up that’s comfortable running it without my help or involvement, I’m good with that too. But as long as my involvement is needed to ensure it continues to run in the community I’ll stay involved,” he said.
Pye withdrawing from Sk8te Hollinger, which he has built and maintained for the past three winters, stems back to an RFP he was sent for Hollinger Park.
He said it called for contractors to bid on cutting down all the trees at the popular park, which is being remediated.
He asked to see the city’s design for the park, and issued an ultimatum on Facebook calling for the site plan to be revealed by a certain time or he wouldn’t build Sk8te Hollinger next winter.
“I played the only card I had, and the only card I had was to give Mayor Black an ultimatum,” Pye said.
While the designs weren’t revealed by the specified time, the City of Timmins issued a news release Tuesday to “clarify the misinformation” about the trees being taken down.
“The city has received and is reviewing a report from a professional arborist regarding the impact on the trees of the importation of fill in the park as required in the plans for remediation,” reads a City of Timmins news release.
“In the meantime, the city has requested quotations for the removal of trees, and will present advice to council when a review of the report and the park plan are complete.”
Pye said he put in a verbal bid of $1.8 million for the work.
He’s also stepped back from the Hollinger Park rink.
“I’m a man of my word. He said that he will put a team together to do the Sk8te Hollinger and I said if he didn’t produce a design by 6 p.m., it’s his, it’s his baby,” said Pye.
To build and maintain the rink, Pye estimates it’s in excess of 6,000 man hours.
“We were putting in 160 - 180 days straight, no days off,” he said, adding it’s 100 days of operation, 45 days to build it, and about 20 some days to clean it up.
“It’s a big, big undertaking,” he said. “I wish them luck and we’ll see what the future holds.”
People who want to help out with keeping the oval going can reach out to Black on social media, email [email protected] or call 705-266-3853.
Black encourages anyone who can contribute, whether it’s with services or materials, or if you can volunteer when it opens to reach out.
So far, he said there has been a variety of people stepping up.
“It’s a great sign of how important it is to the community just to see the initial feedback and amount of people that are willing to step up,” Black said.
