(Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Belleville city officials say this may be the best week yet to improve ice conditions at Victoria Harbour.
Parks and Open Spaces Supervisor Rowland Cave-Browne-Cave says crews have done three ice-thickness checks over the past two weeks, one of them yesterday and that the ice is just about ready for public use.
He says some people have cleared patches of the bay and have been skating safely recently, but the city’s operational guidelines require at least eight inches of clear, thick, ice for the bay to be ready for public use.
Tests have shown that most of the ice in the harbour is between seven and 14 inches thick right now.
Cave-Browne-Cave says they need about 12 or 13 inches of ice in order to get the tractor out to help with snow clearing and they hope to have a few rinks cleared by this weekend.
He adds there will be another area for skating in the cove at Zwick’s Park, which will be a “no hockey zone”, but that spot isn’t quite ready to be cleared.
He expects the city to put out a notice once the outdoor rinks are ready for public use.
