Orillia, Ontario locals: backyard rinks?

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Our family is probably going to buy some weekend property near Orillia, Ontario. It fronts on a lake. At first I was thinking about just skating on the lake, but a local who grooms a few pads on the same lake told me lake rinks are very hard to maintain, and that it would be far easier to keep one on land.

Our lot is pretty large with a lot of space, so I thought about building one on ground. Are temperatures in this neck of the woods cold enough in a consistent enough fashion to make this work ? The last backyard rink I built (in Toronto, mind you) was a pain because the temperatures weren't cold enough for long enough to make it worthwhile.

[Law Goalie 147]

They should be. Orillia's not much effected by Toronto's pollution and tarmac, and if it's lakefront, the ground should be plenty cold enough.

[W.Heinle 0]

We have a place in Lagoon City near Orillia.

Yes, it gets plenty cold in the winter for an outdoor rink.

We usually make one on the lagoon in the backyard :)

[Law Goalie 147]

Hmm... maybe we should do the much-debated GTA MSH skate on an outdoor rink...

[Sid 3]

I skated in the woods there last year it was great just pilled the care over and we played.

We have a place in Lagoon City near Orillia.

Yes, it gets plenty cold in the winter for an outdoor rink.

We usually make one on the lagoon in the backyard :)

[W.Heinle 0]

Hmm... maybe we should do the much-debated GTA MSH skate on an outdoor rink...

I wouldn't really consider Orillia part of the GTA LOL :D

Here are some pics from last years Xmas/New Years:

[IniNew 53]

Is that one house?

[K9 Unit 1]

looks like 4 townhouses but i thought that at first glance too ;), nice looking place though

[farhanshak 1]

Hmm... maybe we should do the much-debated GTA MSH skate on an outdoor rink...

count me in for that one :D

not the greatest but i would love to have some fun with the msh :D crew

[W.Heinle 0]

looks like 4 townhouses but i thought that at first glance too ;), nice looking place though

Yes, those are townhouses across the lagoon from our place.

My wife taking the pics was standing in our backyard.

[Zamboni 6]

Rinks on Lakes are hard to maintain-snow is always blowing on. You will have enough shovelling the lake effect snow from Georgian Bay, just being there weekends its a challenge. Boards can't be put up on larger lakes because snow will hide the boards from snowmobiles-real hazard.

If your on Couchiching and a boater let me know, I scanned charts of Couch and Simcoe-perfect page size for printing off.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

looks like 4 townhouses but i thought that at first glance too ;), nice looking place though

Yes, those are townhouses across the lagoon from our place.

Are those slips for each of the townhouses ?

Rinks on Lakes are hard to maintain-snow is always blowing on. You will have enough shovelling the lake effect snow from Georgian Bay, just being there weekends its a challenge. Boards can't be put up on larger lakes because snow will hide the boards from snowmobiles-real hazard.

If your on Couchiching and a boater let me know, I scanned charts of Couch and Simcoe-perfect page size for printing off.

Yeah, the local I met apparently grooms for a bunch of lake tournaments in the area. He said it's tricky. You can't put it too close to shore - something to do with light thaws bringing in water, I think, so you end up having to do it pretty far from shore. I think he said he drives a plow right onto the lake. He also maintains a rink or two for himself, but apparently only got a few weeks out of it last year.

There were some other caveats he put out there, enough that I thought I'd probably just skip it and put the rink on the ground closer to the house. Considering the house is about 150' from shore, that's not so bad anyways.

We're not on Couchiching and we're not boaters, but if the charts are useful for fishing - PM me. We're actually going to be on Lake St. John, which is a pretty small lake closer to CasinoRama.

[W.Heinle 0]

looks like 4 townhouses but i thought that at first glance too ;), nice looking place though

Yes, those are townhouses across the lagoon from our place.

Are those slips for each of the townhouses ?

Yes, those are boat slips underneath the decks.

[Sid 3]

Lagoon city the ice was like glass last year

looks like 4 townhouses but i thought that at first glance too ;), nice looking place though

Yes, those are townhouses across the lagoon from our place.

My wife taking the pics was standing in our backyard.

[Sid 3]

All that hockey makes me thirtsy. Just off the lake

[W.Heinle 0]

All that hockey makes me thirtsy. Just off the lake

Where & when is that?

[Sid 3]

down lakeshore dr last winter