Alberta's first accessible outdoor community rink achieves gold standard

For people driving by the Parkdale Community Association, the outdoor rink may not look different than others around the city.

Take a closer look and you'll see that it was designed with accessibility and inclusiveness in mind. 

There are wider bench doors so that persons using mobility devices can easily get in and out. It also has fully accessible washrooms and areas where players can change from their wheelchair to their sleds.

"The message we're trying to get out is, 'It's actually not that different,'" said rink director John Butterwick. "You just need to be deliberate about your design ahead of time."

It is important that these places are welcoming, inclusive and resilient for many years to come.- Amanda Affonso, Parkdale Community Association president

The rink is the first accessible outdoor community rink in Alberta and meets accessibility standards for sledge hockey —something that helped the facility achieve an Accessibility Certified Gold rating under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program with a score of 88 out of 100 points.

The Rick Hansen Foundation was established in 1988 and for over three decades, the organization has raised awareness and funded spinal cord injury research and care.

The RHFAC is the foundation's national rating system that measures and certifies the level of meaningful access of buildings and sites.

"We're delighted to see that Parkdale Community Association Ice Rink has secured an RHFAC Gold rating," said Brad McCannell of the Rick Hansen Foundation. 

"By prioritizing accessibility, Parkdale will improve the user experience of people of all ages and abilities – an important step in Canada's journey towards a more inclusive future."

A gathering place

The northwest community rink replaced the association's old rink that reached the end of its 30-year lifespan a few years ago. Designing a new facility that would be inclusive was top of mind for the community association.

"Community infrastructure like rinks bring people together by creating gathering places," said Amanda Affonso, president at Parkdale Community Association.

"It is important that these places are welcoming, inclusive and resilient for many years to come."

The recently rebuilt rink includes accessible washrooms, warming benches to transfer to sleds, ramps to the rink, clear rink boards, and wider rink entry that is barrier free — not only making it accessible for players, but for fans and spectators as well.

"I am really excited about what this facility means for the sport of sledge hockey, both at a competitive and grassroots level," said Alan Halbert with the Calgary Sledge Hockey Association. 

"I hope this focus on accessibility becomes the norm and standard for all ice rinks across Canada."

The Parkdale's rink opens for the winter season on Dec. 1 and will be open to the community and local organizations for sledge hockey, public skating, grassroots hockey, tournaments, rentals and events.