Jellie Park Pool May Have Ice Skating Rink

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30471, 19 June 1964, Page 12

Jellie Park Pool May Have Ice Skating Rink

The lido pool which is being built by the Waimairi County Council in Jellie Park may be used as an ice skating rink during the winter. The council last evening approved additional expenditure involved in providing extra fencing and alternative heat-exchange p’pes for the provision of the i>k at some future date.

The county engineer (Mr I. Calvert) said that if the rink was established, the expensive heat pump that was being installed to heat the pool water could also be used —with minor adjustments—to produce ice for skating. This would mean that the

unit would not be lying idle over the winter.

“If an ice skating rink is constructed, it could be made so that during the summer the surface area would be utilised for roller skating as at Timaru or open air dancing as at Onehunga. Whatever use the surface is. put to in the summer, it would have an added attraction for the lido pool,” he said. The heat pump on order would be able to maintain a rink area of about 5000 sq. ft. As the area would be oval in shape, it would be suitable only for informal skating and unsuitable for ice hockey and curling. Mr Calvert estimated that it would cost about £7OOO for the scheme to be implemented. The chairman (Mr J. 1. Colligan) said he was in favour of the proposal, but felt that the time was not opportune, as the council was sufficiently committed financially with other projects. Mr Calvert said that the proposal had been brought forward as a possibility of the future, but if in the future the council decided it wanted such an amenity it would be prudent before the lido pool fencing was erected to decide now, so that space could be allowed for the rink within the fenced-off area. Extra fencing would cost about £lOO.

Kainga Crossing.—The council will ask the Railways Department to accelerate its programme for the installation of warning devices on level crossings as a matter of urgency. Cr. A. A. Adcock said he was concerned that there had been a fatal accident on the Kainga cross recently. The council had written to the department several years ago advising it of the dangerous condition, but nothing had been done.

Science Museum.—While being “sympathetic” towards a proposal to establish a Canterbury museum of science and industry, the council decided it had no suitable land available in the county for the establishment of a museum.