Public Skating, Lessons & Hockey

There's no tradition more Canadian than skating!

Lace up your skates and get ready for some icy fun! Whether you're twirling like a figure skater, zooming around like a hockey pro, or skating with friends, nothing beats the thrill of gliding on ice.

Monthly Recreation Pass

Markham Recreation is introducing an all-access pass
Pass holders will have access to almost anything, anytime, anywhere!

Activities include:

Shinny
Endurance Lane Swims
Lane Swims
Public Skating
Drop In Programs (i.e., badminton, basketball, pickleball, kendo) and
Aquafit (with Recreation Activity Pass with Aquafit (16+) only)

HST will be added to all (below listed) admission fees, regardless of age.

1-Month Recreation Activity Pass:

Child: $30.39
Adult: $46.74
Older Adult: $32.71

1-Month Recreation Activity Pass with Aquafit (16+):

Adult: $53.99
Older Adult: $37.80

3-Month Recreation Activity Pass:

Child: $91.18
Adult: $140.22
Older Adult: $98.15

3-Month Recreation Activity Pass with Aquafit (16+):

Adult: $161.98
Older Adult: $113.39

To buy this membership, visit your local community centre or please or contact the Contact Centre at customerservice@markham.ca or by phone at 905.477.5530.

Skating Lessons & Hockey Programs Register for lessons!

We offer a variety of skating and hockey programs for various ages and abilities:

Learn to Skate (private and group lessons)
Introduction to Hockey
Power Skating & Hockey Skills

Registration now open!

VIEW PROGRAMS

Markham Civic Centre Outdoor Ice Rink

Season Dates:
Saturday, November 30 to Sunday, March 16, 2025 (weather and ice conditions permitting.)

Admission:
Free

Hours of Operation:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays: 10 AM to 10 PM
Wednesdays: Noon to 10 PM

Holiday Hours:
Tuesday, December 24, 2024: 10 AM to 4 PM
Wednesday, December 25, 2024: Closed
Thursday, December 26, 2024: 10 AM to 10 PM
Tuesday, December 31, 2024: 10 AM to 4 PM
Wednesday. January 1, 2025: 10 AM to 10 PM
Monday, February 15, 2025: 10 AM to 10 PM

Skate Rentals:
No Skates? No problem!
Skate rentals are available by Markham Skate Rentals.
Available: Thursdays and Fridays, 5 PM to 10 PM; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 AM to 10 PM.

Check Ice Conditions:
Check ice conditions before you visit the rink. Since the ice surface is exposed to the elements, there will be occasions where we must repair the ice before skating is permitted.
Check below to avoid disappointment.

Locations and Entrance:
Markham Civic Centre
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3

Upon arrival, please head to the rink by walking around the north-east entrance of the Markham Civic Centre and go down the stairs or follow the pathway. Please note that there is no access through the Civic Centre building.

Important Safety Information for Participants:

Changerooms and benches are available around the side of the rink for you to change your skates.
Washrooms are available.
Resurfacing of the ice will be done periodically throughout the day. Please clear the ice when the Zamboni is on the ice surface to ensure your own safety.
Helmets and gloves are strongly recommended for all participants.
Only engineered skating assists/aids are permitted.
Hockey sticks and pucks are not permitted.
Figure skating is not permitted.
Skates must be worn on the ice, no shoes are permitted.
Strollers and chairs must remain outside of the ice surface area.
Games of tag and chase are not permitted.
Skate in the same direction at all times.
Leave the ice at the end of the skate.
Report any inappropriate behaviour to staff.
Be aware of other skaters and remember that skaters of all abilities are welcome.
Forward skating only. No backward skating.

Want to know how we make the Outdoor Ice Rink?

The Civic Centre Outdoor Ice Rink has an artificial refrigeration system which draws heat from the water on the concrete ice pad through an underground pipe system. This causes the water on the surface to freeze. The ice is built by spraying water onto the ice pad, letting it freeze, and then spraying again until the ice is a few inches thick.

The refrigeration system is great but it can’t do all of the work on it’s own. The outdoor rink is exposed to the elements such as sun, wind, rain and snow, which all greatly affect whether we can make ice. When we build ice, we usually do it at night when it’s cold to help with the freezing process and avoid losing too much water to evaporation or melting. In order to do this, we wait until the ambient temperature drops overnight so that it is below freezing. Staff will then work throughout the night spraying water onto the rink, letting it freeze and then spraying again. If it rains while we are building ice, the process can be quite quick. However if it’s bright sunshine during the day, it may take several weeks to build up the ice.

In November, staff will begin the process of clearing out the fountain and preparing it for the ice season. This includes removing all of the leaves, cleaning the fountain and enclosing the rink. Our goal is to open the rink around December 1st every year. We also do our best to prolong the ice season as long as possible. The weather plays a big factor at the end of February and beginning of March. If the sun is too warm during the day and the temperatures overnight are not cold enough, the ice can become too damaged, and unsafe to use. Occasionally, we may close the rink during a warm day and re-open it at night when the temperature drops and won’t cause damage, thus, prolonging the skating season.

We hope that you will join us at the outdoor rink this season.

Markham Outdoor Ice Rinks at Parks

Markham Outdoor Ice Rinks

Friendly reminder: Moving water in Markham’s ponds, stormwater ponds and waterways causes thin ice that can crack. Stay safe and stay off the ice.

Milliken Mills, Victoria Square and Huntington Parks will be lit from 5 PM until 10 PM

Rink Hours are:

Sunrise to 10 AM: Pick-up hockey

10 AM to 1 PM: Recreational skating

1 PM to 3 PM: Pick-up hockey

3 PM to 7 PM: Recreational skating

7 PM to 10 PM: Pick-up hockey

Museum and Milne Dam will close at dusk.

Sunrise to 10 AM: Pick-up hockey

10 AM to 12 PM: Recreational skating

12 PM to 2 PM: Pick-up hockey

2 PM to Sundown: Recreational skating

Markham Museum:

The Markham Museum ice rink will be closing at 3 PM the following days: February 8 to 11, 14 to 19, and 22 to 25, 2024.

Indoor Public Skating

Drop in to join a public skate at a City of Markham indoor arena:

Angus Glen Community Centre & Library
Centennial Community Centre
Crosby Community Centre
Markham Village Community Centre & Library
Mount Joy Community Centre
R.J Clatworthy Arena
Thornhill Community Centre & Library

Public Skating offered:

Recreational:
Open for skaters of all ages and abilities. Practice your skating skills during this leisure skate. We recommend that all recreational skaters wear a Canadian Standards Association (C.S.A) approved hockey helmet. Wheelchairs are welcome at all recreational skates. Participants ages 7 years and younger must be accompanied (on ice) by an adult 16 years and older.

Parent and Tot:

An ideal program for adults and children ages 7 years and younger who are learning to skate and need to skate in a slower-paced environment, or with the assistance of an adult. Adults ages 16 years and older must accompany children on the ice. We recommend that all recreational skaters wear a Canadian Standards Association (C.S.A) approved hockey helmet.

Adults 55 and older:
This leisure skating program is ideal for mature adults wishing to skate in a slower-paced environment. We recommend that all recreational skaters wear a Canadian Standards Association (C.S.A) approved hockey helmet.

Figure Skating:
Looking for a way to practice your skating skills or some extra time on the ice? This is the program for you! This program is unstructured for participants to come and develop their skating at their own pace. Canadian Standards Association (C.S.A.) approved helmet is Mandatory. Participants under 10 years of age must be accompanied (on ice) by a parent or guardian.

Stick and Puck:
An ideal program for adults and children ages 7 years and younger to practice how to shoot, pass and handle a stick. Adults ages 16 years and older must accompany children on ice. All skaters must wear a Canadian Standards Association (C.S.A) approved hockey helmet and bring their own hockey or ringette equipment.

Admission Fees (+HST), effective September 1, 2024:

Child (3 years and younger)	Free
Child (4 to 15 years)	$2.91
Adult (16 to 64 years)	$4.85
Older Adult (65 years and older)	$3.40

VIEW DROP IN PROGRAMS

Important Safety Information for Participants:

Activity Rules

• Be aware of other skaters and remember that skaters of all abilities are welcome.
• Skate in the same direction of all other skaters, facing forward. Backwards skating is not permitted.
• Games of tag and chase are not permitted.
• Keep board and gate areas clear.
• Clear the ice at the end of the skate.
• Report any inappropriate behavior to the skate patrol staff.
• Follow the directions of the skate patrol staff.
• Skate aids must remain in designated areas.

Equipment Rules

• Helmets and gloves are strongly recommended for all skaters.
• Skates must be worn on the ice, no shoes are permitted.
• Hockey sticks and pucks are only permitted during designated shinny/hockey times and not during general public skates.
• Only approved skating aids are permitted and must remain in designated areas. Please use them as directed.
• Strollers and chairs must remain outside of the ice surface area.
• Wheelchairs and sledges are permitted on the ice area and anyone accompanying the participant must wear skates

Shinny Rules

For the safety of all participants, please note;
• Helmets and gloves are strongly required for all skaters.
• Hockey equipment including protective padding is strongly recommended.

Community Ice Rinks

If you are interested in building a community ice rink, you will need to complete the following steps:

Find a volunteer coordinator and a group of volunteers who will install, operate and maintain the outdoor ice rink

Completed application forms should be sent to the City of Markham by email, fax or mail:

customerservice@markham.ca
905.479-7767
City of Markham
Operations Department
101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham, Ontario, L3R 9W3

Read Community Ice Rink Program Installation & Maintenance Policy [PDF]

Important Information:

Applications are accepted beginning on September 1 for the following winter season
Applications received after December 15 are subject to availability of materials and department funding
City guidelines and policies will outline where an ice rink can go based on winter water services.
COVID-19 health and safety protocols must be followed, as directed by the City of Markham
The City reimburses 50% of the cost of eligible building materials to a maximum of $500 per year
The City has many parks locations with winterized water services (new winterized services will not be considered until the available sites have been fully utilized)
Limited funding is available for this program and the City may not be able to accommodate every request

Next Steps:

If the location and the size of the ice rink is approved, the volunteer coordinator will be notified
The volunteer coordinator will need to circulate a petition confirming acceptance of the ice rink by a minimum of 70% of residents adjacent to the park, or ice rink location, prior to rink construction (draft petition is available from the City upon request)
A copy of the completed petition results can be mailed or emailed as an attachment to the City of Markham
The volunteer coordinator will be contacted to determine a convenient to meet Operations staff at the park to receive the hoses, water key, and basic instructions for flooding rinks to ensure that rink maintenance remains trouble-free

Ice Rentals New ice times available!

Rent an arena for an event or a season!

If interested in renting one of our spaces, please fill out the facility rental information form. A customer service representative will follow up with your request.

RENTAL FORM

North Area: