[twitter]Welcome to the best part of winter, everyone. The temperature is just below zero, the sun is bright, and the ice is thick on Calgary ponds.

If you’ve ever wondered why Canada’s best hockey players come from the prairies, you just have to look at the flood of outdoor rinks across the flat part of Canada to get it. From backyard rinks, to frozen drainage ponds, it’s easy for kids and families to get some ice time. Outdoor skating  in Calgary, (and everywhere in Canada outside of the SW corner of BC for that matter) is just something Canadians do.

In Calgary, there are more than 100 outdoor rinks for you to choose from, many of them are run by local community associations. They are hockey boards on an asphalt surface that volunteers will soak and freeze once winter hits. That is your first best bet to find some outdoor ice in Calgary, it’s probably right around the corner.

The following outdoor skating rinks are maintained by The City:

Big Marlborough Park – OPEN
Bowness Park Lagoon: – OPEN (9 a.m. – 10 p.m.)
Carburn Park – OPEN (5a.m. – 11 p.m.)
Evergreen – small rink at Everoak Dr & Everridge Dr. S.W.
Olympic Plaza – OPEN (10 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
Prairie Winds Park – OPEN (7 a.m. – 10 p.m.)
Prince’s Island Lagoon – OPEN (5 a.m. – 11 p.m.)

There are over 34 outdoor rinks throughout Calgary that are maintained on a volunteer basis through the Adopt-a-Rink program. Visit Adopt a Rink for more information and rink locations.

There are numerous outdoor skating rinks that are in the communities and maintained by community volunteers. To see a list to the community rinks visit Calgary Outdoors Rinks and Arenas.

Rinks on open water are typically open from Mid-December through the end of February, with Olympic Plaza staying open until March. If you are going to skate on a pond, or waterway, familiarize yourself with ice safety before heading out.