Outdoor Skating Rink

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

To help kick off celebrations leading up to the 150th anniversary of Toronto’s Granite Club in 2025, the management team wanted to do something extra special for Members—install an outdoor skating rink! A callback to the outdoor rink at our original Clubhouse location built in 1875. Located on Granite Common (the Clubhouse’s “backyard”), this one-of-a-kind addition added wonderment to the winter season and was a joyous addition for Members in an otherwise under-utilized space during the colder months of the year.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

It took a small army of elves to import the rink directly from Italy! This 42,700-pound cargo travelled an incredible 6,689 kilometres, including four massive trucks, to help reach its final designation at the Granite Club. The rink took a dedicated team three days to set up the main infrastructure: lay flooring, run piping, place headers, and place protection padding (plus time to make ice, mat setup and adding the finishing touches like lighting and decor). The state-of-the-art mobile refrigeration plant enables outdoor ice, even when the winter months are milder than in years past; and will be removed again in time for summertime outdoor activities. The result? Members skated their hearts out as they created new cherished memories with their family and friends throughout the early winter months of 2025.