Extra staff has been called in to clear snow over the holidays so Red Deerians and their families can enjoy City trails and skating rinks during Christmas.

With high volumes of snow forecast today and Christmas Eve, additional staff and contractors have been scheduled to work on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day to plow the Waskasoo Park river valley trail system and to clear the following outdoor ice surfaces:

• Bower Ponds – skating pond (5220 Taylor Drive)
• Bower – hockey rink  (85 Boyce St.)
• Clearview Meadows – hockey rink (93 Cornett Drive)
• Eastview Estates – hockey rink – (120 Ellenwood Drive)
• Grandview –hockey rink (4145 46 St.)
• Highland Green – hockey Rink (65 Halladay Ave)
• Lonsdale – hockey rink (26 Lawford Ave)
• Morrisroe -Annie L Gaetz – hockey rink (5 McIntosh Ave)
• Mountview – hockey rink (4331 34 St.)
• Normandeau – hockey rink (5707 71 St.)
• Oriole Park – hockey rink (5 Ogden Ave)
• Riverside Meadows – hockey rink (6021 57 Ave)
• Rosedale – hockey rink (2 Roland St.)
• West Park – hockey rink (3310 55 St.)

All other rinks will recommence operations on December 28.

Citizens who choose to shovel their neighbourhood rink are asked to avoid piling snow along the rink boards because it is very difficult for crews to remove. Instead, please run half-ice (piling snow in the center of the other half), push snow off of the ice surface altogether, or throw it over the boards.

Also, The City has an amazing network of cross country ski trails maintained by volunteers. Citizens are reminded to avoid walking in the ski tracks out of courtesy to volunteer efforts.

For more information on skating rinks and cross country trails, visit http://www.reddeer.ca/

(Photo courtesy of the City of Red Deer)