The thaw that arrived December 28 has done its damage… the Sorauren natural ice rink is closed till further notice. As always, the volunteer Sorauren Hosers Rink Crew thank you for staying off the soft surface to protect it for a quick rebound when weather permits. Footprints in the soft mud/slush of the ball diamond make a royal mess.

Subscribe to the Sorauren Park newsletter and follow us on social media @SoraurenPark for all your rink news and updates, along with other park happenings.

The Hosers will start flooding again once there is a consistent below-zero forecast for about a full week.

The Sorauren Park natural ice rink is open, in fair condition with a few bare patches, for Monday December 26 and Tuesday December 27 before an expected thaw starting Wednesday.

Thanks to the efforts of the all-volunteer Sorauren Hosers Rink Crew, the community rink has been built and flooded several times to create enough of a base.

Once the thaw starts, please stay off the rink to protect the surface. The biggest challenge is footprints (and pawprints) in soft or muddy ground. These create devilish craters that delay rink re-opening.

Thanks to Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation for new hoses, water supply and scrapers, and to our returning Rink Sponsors whose generous support pays for coveted Hoser toques, rink board replacements and other expenses. Sorauren Hosers is a program of Friends of Sorauren Park.

2023 Rink Sponsors

It’s Build Day this Saturday December 17, starting at 10 am, and you’re invited. Help the all-volunteer Sorauren Hosers Rink Crew lay out and erect the boards for this year’s natural ice rink, located on the baseball diamond.

After the build, volunteers are invited to a fresh-made pizza lunch from the park’s pizza oven.

Volunteer duties on Build Day include moving the boards and materials, installing the boards (bring a cordless drill driver and hammer if you got ’em), and cleaning up.

The Sorauren Hosers begin flooding the rink when Mother Nature sends the signal, which is one full week of below zero temperatures. Volunteer positions are available on some of the evening flooding crews. The commitment is one evening per week with your experienced captain and other crew mates. There is also a Sunrise Soak crew on many Saturday and Sunday early mornings. Contact us!

Thanks to Parks, Forestry and Recreation for rink scrapers, hose storage, water access and permits. Special thanks to the 2023 returning Sorauren Rink Sponsors, who support material purchases and volunteer activities (like pizza lunches!).

As if a switch was flipped with an overnight thunderclap, winter signalled its exit and spring its arrival, and with that change the Sorauren natural ice rink has closed for this season.

(Who are we kidding, winter will return in some way. But with the sun higher and thaws longer it becomes impossible to maintain the ice surface.)

Big thanks to the 40 volunteer crew members of the hardy Sorauren Hosers, and many other helpers, who maintained the rink with daily floodings and more. (Many Hosers have been volunteering for more than 10 years.) Overall it has been a great season, made more special as the second year of outdoor relief from the pandemic.

Thanks also to Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation for late-night and early-morning staff support and access to the hoses and water. Finally, thanks to sponsors Chander Chaddah, Scooter Girl Toys and Evolve Chiropratic Roncesvalles, whose financial support helps cover rink expenses.

The Sorauren Hosers Rink Crew is a program of the Friends of Sorauren Park, which is planning a great season of warm-weather programming; stay tuned. See you at the rink next year!