Icepocalypse 2017! What to do? Go skating, of course.

The City of Vancouver has run out of salt (or so it appears), the intersections are solid ice, and the ponds are freezing over! Well obviously there’s only one thing to do: go skating!

Well after you clear your sidewalk that is (civic duty and all). See below for an easy DIY sidewalk clearing recipe.

In the meantime, lace up and head out to:

Trout Lake, East Vancouver

The Vancouver Park Board just announced on Twitter that Trout Lake now has more than 5in or 12cm solid ice and danger signs have been removed. They request that you “please skate with caution as ice patrols are not equipped to supervise.” But the best part? The last time conditions were safe for public skating was in 1996!

Garry Point Park, Steveston

Garry Point Park has been skate-able for weeks now. And what a view! Container ships, and if you’re lucky, snow geese as well. Post-skate, head to one of the local coffee shops (Steveston Coffee Company or Rocanini) for well-deserved a latte or a hot chocolate.

Como Lake, Coquitlam

Strap on your skates and helmets and grab a hockey stick because parts of Como Lake at 680 Gatensbury Street are now open for skating. The ice in the middle of Como Lake is measuring a solid 12 centimetres thick and is safe for the public in marked areas. However, due to open water along some of the lake edge, visitors are advised to follow the marked safe routes into the middle of the lake where the ice is the thickest.

Temporary Rink, Town Centre Rink, Coquitlam

Grab on your skates, helmet and a friend and head over to the new temporary ice rink at Town Centre Park. With the assistance of Coquitlam Fire Rescue crews, Parks and Recreation staff have created a temporary ice rink on the Sports Court at the Park. The Sports Court is located off Trevor Wingrove Way, nearest to the Pipeline Road entrance to the park. This is an experiment that will only last as long as the weather stays cold and the ice surface is similar to what you’d find on a lake but not as smooth as an indoor rink.

Lost Lagoon, Queen Elizabeth Park and Jericho Beach

While not officially sanctioned yet, these ponds were popular skating rinks in the 70s and 80s, and aksters seem to be twirling and playing shinny!

Grouse Mountain

There’s a small smooth outdoor ice skating rink high above the city on Grouse Mountain. So grab your skates and go for a glide on Grouse Mountain’s 8,000 square foot Ice Skating Pond – the only one of its kind on the West Coast. It was recently voted one of the top skating rinks in the world! Gorgeous but you need to buy a lift ticket to get up.

Best Places in Vancouver to Play in the Snow this Winter!

Robson Square

Celebrate winter in style with skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s a magical place to enjoy the holidays with your friends, family and loved ones. And it’s only $4! Open until Feb 14.

This backyard in Maple Ridge!

If you have the means and the know-how, set up your own backyard skating rink and go to it! But surely these Habitant fans wouldn’t mind if we just dropped by.