Swimming and long track speed skating do not go hand in hand.
Provided the city brings artificial refrigeration to the outdoor ice oval at Exhibition Park for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, Prince George will avoid that unfortunate possibility.
Dennis Young was at the oval a year ago when a mid-winter thaw left the oval submerged in water, forcing Prince George Iceman skaters to slog through puddles that ran as deep as their boots.
Young, president of the Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club, said the city cannot afford to rely on the weather during the 2015 Canada Games to be cold enough for natural ice and the organizing committee needs to take that into account when making the decision on how to spend its $19.6 million infrastructure budget.
Young said the artificially-chilled outdoor ice oval in Halifax for the 2011 Canada Winter Games has proved immensely popular with people and there is a strong drive in that city to make permanent what was set up as a temporary facility. Young believes the oval would be equally popular in Prince George, especially if refrigeration is incorporated into a permanent structure.
"I haven't met with the Canada Games (organizing) committee yet, but the city is looking at it," said Young. "The Iceman has proved it a couple of times for us. Last year there was six inches of water on the oval and this year it was a last-minute call and we got lucky when it dropped below freezing overnight before the race.
"Whether it's temporary, like the one in Halifax, or something permanent, with our history and our weather patterns we need a refrigerated oval. It would help our athletes."
Planned renovations to Kin 1 arena, which would result in an Olympic-sized ice surface for short track speed skating at the Games, would eat up most of the $16.5 million infrastructure budget. Those costs are to be shared equally by the municipal, provincial and federal governments.
The revamped rink plan calls for a removable section of seating that will allow the ice surface to be expanded. Young is hopeful that rink will remain configured for an Olympic-sized ice surface to provide more space for short track speed skating, figure skating, ringette, hockey and sledge hockey.
The success of northern B.C. athletes at the long track national championships in Winnipeg and at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, where Sarah Pousette helped B.C. win a gold medal in the long track relay, bodes well for local skaters hoping to make Team B.C. in 2015.
As part of the host city's Canada Games obligations, Prince George is required to stage at least two high-level long track and short track meets, like a provincial or Western Canadian championship, in advance of the Games. That gives race experience to timing staff, on-ice officials and volunteers, and a chance for race organizers to work out the bugs. Although there haven't been any outdoor skating meets in recent history, other than the Iceman, Young is confident the Blizzard club will be ready when that day comes.
